Partners
by Mint Julip59
Summary: This story is related to The Burning with a different twist. Dempsey reveals Harry is a cop to Mara Giardino's team and the story moves on from there. The Partners are pushed into a difficult situation to stay alive and fight another day and their relationship is severely impacted as Harry is pushed out of her comfort zone.
1. Chapter 1

'She's a cop, pretty cop though so I may keep her around for a while….' Lupino's swagger and the eyebrow wiggle was spot on.

Harry's blue eyes widened with surprise as her partner hung her out to dry. She grimaced as her hands were tied behind her back and a gag was forced into her mouth and she was thrown into the back of a van, none too gently.

'No need to be selfish Johnny, share and share alike… Alec tried to get in on the act; he admired Lupino's machismo and ideas about recreational activity.

'Johnny Lupino don't share broads, don't tell Mara though don't want her getting jealous of a bit of harmless fun, the dames don't always see these things the way the guys' do.' Dempsey lit a cigarette and cursed Makepeace's tenacity. They'd be lucky to get out of this alive; he pulled the van into the address Mara had given him for the gang to hole up before the major gig.

Harry tried to work on the rope tying her hands with little success and she blinked furiously to clear her gaze as the van doors were opened half an hour later and she was dragged out and pushed into one of the bedrooms. The room was reasonably pleasant and made a nice change from Lupino's lair. She sat on the bed and waited. The vocal exchanges she could hear seemed combative rather than team banter and she would suppose that Lupino and his cohorts hadn't been working together for very long.

Finally, Dempsey entered and she gave a sigh of relief as he undid the gag, 'what are you doing,' she hissed at him, her blue eyes searching his.

'Keeping us both alive angel, and the only reason you're still breathing is cos they think I want to be entertained and since I'm Mara's addition to the team they're all being duly respectful so they should leave you alone.'

'I was calling you in Dempsey, let's get out of here,' she insisted as he put the gag back in her mouth with an apologetic smile.

'Sorry honey, we've still got work to do. I'll get us out; you just gotta trust me…. He left her to it and went back to join the boys waiting for the instruction as to when they'd join Mara at an as yet undisclosed location.

Johnny stayed with the guys' psychologically evaluating how to play them and keep them away from his partner in the bedroom. After playing a few games of cards he picked up a beer and drank it down.'

'You don't seem in any hurry to play with the girl, maybe she's not your type,' Alec smirked at the yank.

'She'll keep,' Lupino responded as he was dealt another hand. 'I suppose I should get her some food and water make her grateful,' he snickered and played his cards. 'Maybe she'll get that Stockholm Syndrome and end up liking me.'

'Maybe Lupino's in league with the cops and that's why she's here,' Danny Johnson suggested with a suspicious look. 'I mean Mara picked him up in that swanky hotel, could be a set up.' He played his hand badly Dempsey smiled at the easy victory.

'Taking candy from a baby,' he drawled as he put his cards down and took the money off the table. 'Thanks gentleman,' he got up and lit a cigar and went into the kitchen to get a glass of water and a bacon roll for Makepeace. Normally she wouldn't eat anything like that but he guessed she probably hadn't eaten today.

'Keep it quiet, some of us will be trying to get some shut eye,' Alec grumbled obviously feeling envious.

Danny leered and made some suggestive comments on how to satisfy the bitch which Dempsey duly ignored. This was gonna be difficult, the guys were resentful that he'd joined the team and a tad suspicious. His jaw squared. One thing was certain they needed to be convinced that he'd had the Sergeant in the biblical sense.

Harry was resentful when Johnny the Wolf turned up. She was desperate to go to the loo and hadn't eaten anything all day. When the gag was removed she asked him to remove the rope from her wrists and headed straight for the en-suite.

Dempsey supposed he should have thought of that as she'd been tied up for hours and her wrists were red raw. When she came out he swaggered over very much still in character. 'Hey baby, got you a bacon roll and some water. Nice of me don't you think.'

Harry glared at him. 'Let's get out of here,' she insisted. 'It's too dangerous, we need back up….

'The game's on Sergeant just leave it to me,' he pulled her close to him. 'The guys need convincing that you're my entertainment honey or this'll all go to hell. Danny, the big guy, is suspicious so we're gonna make some noise,' his mouth descended on Harry's and he felt the shock of his action go right through her body, what was that revulsion or what? It had been kind of shuddery.

'Dempsey,' she hissed at him as he raised his head. 'You're not suggesting that we actually do it?' Her blue eyes were wary as she looked up at him.

'Yeah, as far as those two punks are concerned we're doing it,' he said his breath warm and moist against her ear. 'For once in your life just shut up and do things my way; you're a rookie when it comes to the deep cover stuff and it's you that got us into this situation following me about like that.' His mouth returned to hers, hot and demanding, trying to physically express his need that she got with this; he took the blows that came his way with a patience he really wasn't feeling.

Harry was struggling to keep Dempsey off her and had no problem in playing her role with this side of him, she could cheerfully put a bullet through Johnny the Wolf. She'd had a few physical run ins with her partner before; crashing him into the lockers when she thought he'd been talking about her to the boys; getting into his face when he'd let that pilot seduction piece go on for too long but this was different. She realised that he'd never really shown her his physical superiority before and his ability to block her moves was infuriating.

Danny barged in with a bottle of beer, he laughed. 'She's got some fire in her, a right little cracker…. He quickly took in the scene seemed genuine enough the girl looked like she'd been kissed hard and seemed upset.

'Get the fuck out of it,' Dempsey threw Harry on the bed and shoved Danny out of the room. Harry had sprung up on the opposite side of the bed and was obviously gonna make a fight of it. Okay, so if she wanted to play it that way so be it.

Harry landed flat on her back on the mattress and glared at her partner, 'he's gone,' she hissed at him feeling awkward as she felt the full weight of his body pressing down on her. She shifted awkwardly, 'I can't believe this; you're aroused,' her blue eyes accused him.

'Fighting with you always turns me on,' he growled. 'Danny's suspicious you got that Sergeant,' he whispered urgently. 'You got that Harry; this is crunch time you with me or not,' his dark eyes burnt into hers. Nobody was playing here; they had to be the real deal. He heard a noise behind the door and he could see she'd heard it too.

Harry's expression changed at that moment and her body lost its tension, 'yes I'm with you,' she said quietly as she let Dempsey take the lead on this one after all she wasn't his willing entertainment so he could just get on with it.

The scent of his body hit her senses; masculine, musky and not exactly freshly showered but something about it got to her and her skin coloured slightly as she felt her jumpsuit give he'd obviously worked out how to get her out of it. Suddenly they were skin to skin and she felt the slight abrasion of his body hair that shouldn't be stimulating but somehow it was.

'Harry,' he groaned into her ear as his body shifted into position over hers, 'make some noise,' he hissed into her ear.

'Get off me you bastard,' she pushed at him. 'You'll get ten years for this you pig,' she stuck her nails in his back and he yelled out. That sounded pretty convincing.

'Play nice and you might get to see tomorrow,' he snarled all Lupino, 'can't guarantee the day after maybe if you're nice to the guys they might keep you a bit longer. 'Ow, you bitch,' he glared down at her. That had hurt and he wasn't into pain not on that level anyway.

It was obvious that even though Makepeace saw the need for authenticity she really didn't want any part of it so he decided to improvise and act it out, 'now that's nice ain't it babe, you gotta admit Johnny's got the moves, oh yeah,' he was feeling the heat even if she wasn't and since she kept taking lumps out of him he guessed she was going for payback. Typical Harry, always a fighter, he was gonna lose control of this which was awkward, God she was beautiful, warm skin, beautiful breasts, her thighs and the promise of heaven between them. She moved against him her body cleaving to his and that just sent him over the edge when she did that and the noise he made should've convinced anyone they were kosher.


	2. Chapter 2

Dempsey looked over at Harry as they watched Mara and Coltrane as they were escorted from the damaged manor house. Danny had dragged his partner off after the face to face with Coltrane and Butch had told him the girl was dead, his relief when Makepeace called his name had sent a shockwave throughout his body and it hit him then that life without Harry didn't mean much.

The Sergeant was holding up well; her professional demeanour still in place, when he questioned her on caring about him she'd just brushed that off by saying that she had to say something to stop him shooting Coltrane. And then there was the elephant in the room, their probable differences of opinion on his manner of protecting her while they were in that house. He wondered if she'd replayed that night as often as he had, on the other hand maybe she'd level charges against him but he had a feeling that wouldn't be Harry's style. If she went for payback she'd probably deliver it herself which was also a matter of concern cos he was feeling kind of raw about the princess.

Harry was aware of her partner's gaze but she ignored it as she wasn't sure of how to deal with the situation she'd found herself in and didn't want to address the issue until she'd thought about what had happened between them. They had undoubtedly been in danger of their lives as the man called Danny had definitely been deeply suspicious of Dempsey and would most certainly have had no qualms about forcing himself on her. Was it better to be subject to that level of intimacy by her partner; somewhat less traumatic she supposed. Dempsey had been more Lupino than James and she knew that he lived the cover and she was less adept at that. She also knew it took him a while to shed the characters he took on.

They both got into Spikings car and buckled up as Chas fired the engine. 'Well I suppose that turned out all right then,' Spikings said sarcastically. 'It wouldn't hurt once in a while for the two of you to follow orders and we will have a little chat about that when we get back to the office. Obviously after you have written your reports as a high profile case like this with a fellow police officer involved is a delicate matter.'

'Yes sir,' Harry answered politely although in her mind a long shower was a first priority. Spikings had a point if they had followed orders they wouldn't have been forced to maintain the cover.

Dempsey didn't give any smart retort which was unusual for him but he was too busy wondering how to discuss what had happened with Makepeace to focus on what Spikings had said.

'And we need to discuss your situation Lieutenant; you now have no reason not to go back to the NYPD unless you'd prefer to permanently move to the U.K.'

The American's head yanked up as if he was a puppet on a string and he swallowed hard. 'Do I have that option chief are you saying you'd offer me a job here?' He'd always thought Spikings would be glad to see the back of him. He'd subliminally monitored Harry's body tensing at the question and wondered if she wanted to get rid of him.

'I might be persuaded but we would need to discuss that Dempsey,' he lit a cigarette enjoying the moment as he saw the uncertainty on the Yank's face in the rear view mirror. He was well aware that without the Lieutenant the success rate of his department would not be as spectacular as it had been but then his budget would have been under less strain as the Yank had a habit of damaging cars and causing mayhem hence the ruined conservatory of the property they'd just left.

'You'll have to testify against Coltrane anyway so that will give you time to go and see your mother and pick up the threads in New York so you may want to give your future some thought.'

Dempsey nodded and glanced across at Harry who was looking out the window and stoically avoiding any eye contact with him. He groaned inwardly, he'd probably been too heavy with her and hoped to hell he hadn't hurt her. She was alive though, they both were so sometimes the ends justified the means. Harry should never've come after him like that but then in her way she'd been protecting him and he knew that even if Lupino hadn't thought to acknowledge that. No Lupino had seen the threat and moved to neutralise it and that had meant Harry had to take the rap for it.

Harry bit her lip wondering if Dempsey would prefer to go back to New York, she knew he missed it sometimes and found life here challenging. After what had happened between them then maybe that would be best; she didn't want to think about any of it. She just wanted to go home and crawl under the bedclothes and block it all out although she knew that was stupid. Anyway there was a report to be written but not before she showered the last couple of days off and assessed the damage. She could of course put the Lieutenant on a charge and go and get the necessary photos of any bruising that she'd incurred but she knew she wasn't going to do that. His actions had convinced Danny and the other low life, Alec and their cover had held until Coltrane had come face to face with her partner. Lupino had acted instinctively to protect them both and that was that.

-oOo-

Dempsey went to the locker rooms and showered; Watson was in there and sniggered when he saw the scratches the Yank had on him.

'Romantic encounter Jim, looks like you took some damage,' he laughed at his own joke. 'Some chicks like it rough,' he smirked enjoying the Yanks discomfort.

Dempsey hauled on a shirt to hide the evidence of Makepeace's protest; the material clung to him as his body was still damp. 'Yeah, yeah laugh it up; you had to be there…. I got all sorts of damage, cuts from glass, bruising from a couple of fights, life is hard and then you die. What can I say?'

'Maybe Makepeace will extend a little TLC; can't believe you've never got past first base with her man, you're running around with her all day; saving her life and her saving yours and you still don't get your leg over; unbelievable.'

'The Sergeant's my partner not my date you meathead…. Dempsey was well aware he was likely to over react cos guilt weren't pleasant and the guilt was mainly about the fact he'd embarrassed himself while making out with Harry. What was he some horny teenager, dull colour ran under his skin.

'She's a fox, she's hot... Guess the Yank charm don't work with Harry, you can't say you've never noticed…. All the guys would kill to be in your shoes.'

'Yeah really, well there are drawbacks…. Of course he'd fucking noticed she was hot; there were days when he just wanted to sink inside her and stay there forever and instead he had to go take his turn making the tea.

'Yeah running around with a stiff dick… Watson laughed as he got a towel in his face for his ill-timed humour. 'C'mon Jim, you gotta have all that going on.'

'Shut the fuck up, Harry's my partner and you ain't talking dirty about her capiche,' he slammed the other officer into the lockers as his raw feelings intensified his anger.

'Okay, okay don't get so touchy… Just what everyone says,' Watson eased his collar and went to the urinal. Typical Yank no sense of humour, can give it out but can't take it, idiot!

-oOo-

Harry sat pecking away at the typewriter; she really should take a keyboard course. Dempsey was hammering away at the keys as usual he'd be finished way ahead of her.

'You okay,' her partner's gruff tones were levelled at a pitch where only she would hear the soft question. 'It was a heavy gig we should talk.'

'Not yet,' Harry responded in a defensive tone. 'I don't think I could…. Look, I need to get on with this if you don't mind.'

'We're alive to write the damn report Sergeant, that's all that matters…. His dark gaze ran over her she still hadn't looked him in the eye since that night or if she did her gaze skittered away.

'Yes we're here to tell the tale,' she agreed in an even tone. 'And if you don't mind I'd like to get on with it,' she returned to her painfully slow typing and then swore under her breath as she hit the wrong key and had to use correcting fluid.

'You'll be here all night at that rate,' he mocked her. 'And I'll be right here with you Sergeant because we need to talk and I ain't leaving until we do.'

Harry acknowledged that and decided at the earliest opportunity to give him the slip because she had no idea how to handle that conversation.

'And if you try and run out on me then I'll track you down so I wouldn't waste the effort on doing that….

'Just leave it Dempsey, I need some space and I don't need one more second of your Lupino personae thank you very much.' She got up and went out to the canteen to get a break just to find him at her shoulder. 'Why are you doing this?' Harry hissed at her partner.

'I'm doing this cos we need to get over the necessities of the last operation. Look Makepeace I didn't ask for a female partner; you're hot, guys go for you and that makes the undercover roles kind of difficult! If I had my way dames wouldn't be doing field work but it ain't my call.'

'All right Dempsey you've had your say but can I just ask for time out; you know that American term that says I get a break; just bloody well leave me alone!' She accelerated and took a turn into the female locker rooms and locked herself in.

He was tempted to follow but thought better of it, might be better to leave her to it for a while. Harry had every right to react to the situation; he couldn't imagine how he could have saved her life without maintaining the cover but the fact he really went for her made it worse; he wanted Makepeace no doubt about it and that made him question himself which he hated.


	3. Chapter 3

Spikings read through the both reports whilst the two partners sat in his office drinking their coffee, he grunted and looked up. 'All right, well I'm sure you could both do with a couple of days off as this operation was difficult especially for you Lieutenant. I don't expect to see either of you for the rest of the week, dismissed.'

Chas looked up as Dempsey and Makepeace came out of the Chief Inspector's office, they seemed to be ill at ease with each other which was unusual, over the years they'd become good friends and spent a lot of personal time together as well as working closely as colleagues.

Harry went over to her desk and picked up her bag and left without saying goodbye to her partner and Dempsey watched her go with something like annoyance tinged with regret.

'What's up with Makepeace?' Chas questioned the American, 'she seems off centre. You both seem… different,' he could see he wasn't going to get any answers from Jim.

Dempsey shrugged and made some remark about women being an eternal mystery and picked up his jacket and followed Harry out.

-oOo-

Harry sipped her tea and glanced out of her window his car was still there, why was he doing this? She didn't want to speak to him at the moment, why couldn't he accept that. Was it guilt? Did he want her to say it was okay, because it wasn't okay? She'd thought about it long and hard and even though she could see Dempsey had needed to convince the man Danny that he was legitimate, did they really have to have to fake having sex to prove that? She'd gone along with it because it was James and she cared about James but she also knew there was the other side to him, the Johnny Lupino personae, a survivor; a honed steel, combatant forged in Vietnam and on the streets of New York. Dempsey had survived when Joey and Coltrane had not. He did what he needed to do and that had meant ensuring their survival and here they were still around to fight another day.

Thinking about it she'd tried to be his equal but she realised that she wasn't made of the same stuff as her partner or maybe she was and that's why she'd gone with it. She got up and made a pot of coffee knowing full well that if she didn't address the issue Dempsey would force her to. He was an expert at breaking into her property and she knew sooner or later he'd appear and insist they talked it through. James wasn't a patient man and she knew he knew that she was aware of his presence. Making the coffee was a symbolic acknowledgement of that as she preferred the tea she'd just abandoned.

She decided to have a bath and then go to bed early and try her hardest to relax but it seemed that any kind of peace of mind wasn't easy to achieve. Finally, finally she drifted off into an uneasy slumber and then she sensed him, or caught his familiar aftershave whatever the reason she knew he was there. Her eyes frayed open and she watched him watching her.

'Neighbours started to get twitchy, had to show one patrol car my badge and besides it was getting cold,' he growled his deep voice resonant in the quiet room.

'I'd like to say I'm surprised to see you but that would be a lie,' Harry responded with hard fought for patience as she pushed her hair out of her eyes, 'what do you want Dempsey? I get it; we're both alive and you thought that simulating sex with me was a necessary part of the cover, one of those little details that convince those to be convinced.'

'Yeah, I lost Joey to Coltrane and the booze; I wasn't going to lose you Harry, I wasn't taking that chance,' he stirred as she got out of bed in the white tee shirt thing she was wearing to sleep in and pulled on a silk robe, she looked cute as she came over to sit at the bottom of the bed.

'And I went with it because you were so bloody sure it was necessary,' her blue eyes held his gaze. 'So there you go, we've discussed it now feel free to leave. At least you didn't find the task too unpleasant,' her sapphire blue eyes stabbed him with pointed intensity.

'Yeah you got me there, kind of got away from me,' he responded in a deep, husky tone his hand running around the back of his neck as a dull colour ran under his skin. 'I apologise that was inappropriate.' This was difficult, no way of getting round the fact he'd come in a heated rush that had made him squirm with embarrassment ever since; what was he some kind of retarded adolescent? He attempted to rally. 'I interrogated Danny, he thought we were kosher cos he was listening at the door, for long enough anyway,' he shrugged. 'It didn't surprise me; I guessed he'd do that, he was onto me, never trusted me should've gone with his nose. Had to convince him or we'd both be pushing up daisies. I guess I wasn't too concerned with the etiquette just wanted you to get on board and go with the cover.'

'So where does that leave us, we both understand the dynamics of the situation and I'm still finding it difficult to deal with, James.'

'I'm finding it difficult too,' he got up and came up to her and then sat next to her and took hold of her hand playing with her fingers. 'I want you, you know that.'

'Yes,' she said in a low emotional tone, 'you've never made a secret of that fact. I'm attractive you're a normal male and you…

'Didn't find it difficult to take advantage, is that what you think?' His dark gaze burnt into hers. 'Well if you do think that you're wrong. There isn't a guy in SI10 or the Met that doesn't have a thing for you Harry, but over the years you've become more to me than sex so it wasn't a case of opportunity knocks.' He dropped her hand and got up running his hand into his hair, 'you're my partner Harry and that's not how it was. All I could think about was convincing that scum that I was Lupino so that we had a chance, you and me.'

'All right,' she accepted that. James was a good man she knew that his heart was in the right place and that they needed to get past this. 'I believe you,' she said simply. 'Now if it's all right with you I'd like to get some sleep and re-calibrate. You do realise that if Spikings takes part in any of the interrogations Danny or Alex might make some kind of sneering remark which may lead to a rather awkward situation.'

'Maintaining the cover that's all,' Dempsey shrugged he wasn't fazed by Spikings getting wind of the information, 'Watson might have a field day with it though. I'm carrying some damage and Watson was in the locker room as I came out of the shower and made the usual remarks so if it gets round….

'I'll say I was maintaining the cover,' Harry responded coolly, 'and that should you ever make an unsolicited pass at me you know what you're in for.'

Dempsey's mouth curled in a reluctant smile. 'I do, still worth it though Makepeace,' he grinned at her. 'Night,' he offered as he saw the stubborn way she raised her chin.

-oOo-

Danny was pure insolence as he sat opposite Spikings. 'Your bird; the female copper,' he corrected himself as Spikings raised his eyebrows in affront. 'She's one hundred per cent the job, shags the other cop to convince me and Jackson that Lupino was kosher. The blokes must be knocking each other over to work with her.'

'The Sergeant is an experienced detective and used to working on covert operations, whatever you thought happened would be what the officers wanted you to believe. And you did believe it; hook, line and sinker and that's why they're still alive and you're here Mr. Thompson. If I was you I'd tell me everything you know because if you don't Jackson will and you'll be looking at a long stretch at her Majesty's pleasure.' He got up and left the man to think on what he'd said.

Spikings lit a cigarette and thought about what Danny Thompson had said and his jaw squared, Sergeant Makepeace had had a fair bit to put up with one way or another maybe he should reassign her for a while and give her a break from the Yank. She was good officer and Dempsey was hard going as his American policing style was somewhat different to being a copper over here.

Joyce Hargreaves was coming back from sick leave so he could partner the two women for a while just to give Harry a break and Dempsey could work with Watson as Morrison had caught a bullet on their last operation and was going to be absent for a few months.

-oOo—

Spikings looked up as Dempsey slammed into his office, he'd been expecting his roster change to ruffle some feathers so he lit a cigarette and waited for the Lieutenant to get to the point.

'Harry's my partner, why am I scheduled to work with Watson he ain't used to the way I work,' he sat down as Spikings nodded at the chair.

'I interviewed Danny Thompson,' he took a drag on his cigarette and his hard gaze met that of the younger man. 'It would seem that Sergeant Makepeace was put in shall we say a difficult situation in order to maintain your cover. Now I know that the two of you can be a little unorthodox at times but I don't think that pretending to 'shag' your partner is part of SI10's operational protocol.'

'Life or death situation, if I hadn't said I wanted Makepeace for my personal entertainment she'd be dead and anyway we didn't do it, just made them think we did.' He got up and paced the room, 'when you're dealing with the mafia it ain't played by the rules. You'd have been fine with me screwing Mara Guiardino as part of the cover in fact Makepeace suggested I got closer to her, what's the difference?'

'I appreciate you were in a life or death situation Lieutenant, but what I'm saying is that Sergeant Makepeace may need a well-earned break from your kind of policing which is different from ours. And if you had come in when I gave Makepeace permission to make the call she would not have been in that situation.'

'Did Harry ask to be reassigned,' Dempsey asked troubled by that thought. He knew the operation had upset her and he was sorry for that.

'No, but there are times as your superior officer that I have to make the call; it's part of my job Lieutenant and I think you both need a break. I'm sure in time I may be tempted to partner you with Makepeace again as you're a highly effective team but for now I'm giving Harry a well-earned breather.


	4. Chapter 4

Harry wasn't too disappointed to be paired with Joyce for a while as the last operation had badly rattled her and especially her reaction to Dempsey's simulation of love making. And although she had no time for the Lupino personae she was reluctantly attracted to James. She felt like Titania, in Midsummer Night's Dream, when she'd had a thing about Bottom but then strongly suspected that her partner could be her Oberon which was even more unsettling. Her memory kept playing back the moment her body had cleaved to his and she blushed slightly as she was absolutely sure that action had caused Dempsey to … and that she'd involuntarily contributed to his lack of control. He hadn't said that of course so at least she'd been spared that humiliation.

A pair of booted feet appeared on her desk and she turned from her computer and looked at Dempsey with a look of polite enquiry. 'Can I help you Lieutenant?'

'Yeah, you can go in there and tell Spikings you don't want to be rostered with Hargreaves, he seems to think you need a break from me. Danny Thompson opened his big mouth and the boss thinks you need time out as my American policing methods are taking you out of your comfort zone.'

Harry thought about that and then nodded. 'Maybe he's right. I mean a change is as good as a rest and maybe it will do us both good to work with someone else for a while. At least you won't have to simulate sex with Watson unless you go undercover as a gay couple.'

'Right back at you,' Dempsey smirked. 'The locker room talk is already pairing you and Joyce up nicely, got Fry hot under the collar anyway.'

'Charming, I only wish I could say I'm surprised,' Makepeace was at her disdainful best. 'If you'll excuse me Dempsey I need to get on with my next case. It's fraud so not your cup of tea at all.'

'So you're not going to talk to Spikings,' Dempsey's jaw squared he wasn't pleased that Harry was going along with the boss's actions.

'No I'm not because I think the Chief Inspector is right, I need a break.' Her blue eyes met the stormy expression in his dark gaze. 'I found the last operation difficult,' she held his gaze deliberately as she knew he'd try and dominate the exchange.

'Okay, you do that and I'll make sure that I give you the space you so obviously need,' he removed his feet and instead of using the desk he always used moved over to take Morrison's old desk. He'd show her space she could have it, acres of it, and she needn't think he'd be her buddy either cos that weren't happening.

Harry bit her lip as she realised he was going to give her the cold shoulder and she gave a deep sigh. She knew she would miss him as he'd been her constant companion for three years at work and socially. James could be difficult if his feelings were hurt and she suspected that the weather was about to read stormy.

-oOo—

Two weeks into her partnership with Joyce the team all went over to the Ambercote Arms as it was Fry's birthday and he'd invited everyone to the pub. Harry looked around and spotted Dempsey chatting up one of the Met's psychiatrists Suzanne Leyton.

Hargreaves followed her gaze, 'I see the American charm offensive is being deployed, poor deluded female looks quite taken with the Lieutenant, I personally don't see the attraction.'

'Well he can be quite charming although I almost find that difficult to remember as he's sulking currently and not talking to me at all, except for the occasional grunt if he can't avoid making some kind of salutation.' One way or another Harry always ended up defending James when Joyce criticised him.

'Yes, I gather you've upset him. I'm glad I didn't get partnered with the Lieutenant this time as the fallout from your last altercation wasn't too appealing.' Joyce could still feel the twinge in her leg from the break although to be honest she knew that she'd acted unwisely on the Daish caper.

'Dempsey takes partnership seriously,' Harry observed. 'He thinks I've been disloyal,' she gazed over at him feeling rather upset by the situation. 'Suzanne's just given him her phone number, that was quick work,' she took a mouthful of her drink and felt uncomfortable because the emotion she was feeling was rather unpleasant and it occurred to her that she was jealous.

'Oh watch out Fry's approaching and he's looking determined about something,' Harry hadn't managed to move quickly enough and she was horribly aware that the young officer had a crush on her.

'Don't you dare leave me,' Makepeace hissed at Joyce who was looking rather amused.

'Hi Harry, so pleased you could come, I've come to claim my birthday kiss from the most beautiful ladies in the bar. Joyce was quick thinking and gave him a little peck on the cheek but Harry didn't move quickly enough and got a pair of determined lips on hers. She gave a sigh of relief as Fry was plucked off her by Dempsey who took the young man back to the bar.

'Ah your knight in shining armour,' Joyce remarked with a knowing smile as Harry used a napkin to wipe her lips and then reapplied her lipstick.

'Yes well at least he didn't abandon me in my hour of need,' Makepeace remarked dryly. 'He's still not speaking to me though which is annoying.'

'Why don't you go over and speak to him, say thank you for handling the situation. It couldn't hurt,' Joyce suggested.

'Because that would give Dempsey too much satisfaction especially if he's decided to snub me. He's playing hardball and I've never backed down when he challenges me and I never will.'

'Yes well I can see you're enjoying the estrangement,' Joyce remarked humorously. 'The pair of you are going to have to resolve the sexual tension sooner or later. It's obvious that you both have feelings for each other.'

'Is it,' Harry looked surprised at that. 'We're just partners and generally friends there isn't anything else.' Even to her ears that sounded like denial.

'Hmm,' Joyce wasn't convinced. 'He watches you when you're not aware of it, I can never tell what he's thinking though, other than your compulsive viewing.'

'I've never noticed,' Harry felt a warm glow of satisfaction at Joyce's words perhaps he did care about her other than generally fancying her in which he'd assured her he was no different from any other male in the Metropolitan Police. Dempsey valued their relationship as partners she knew that but she wasn't convinced that she was special to him other than that.

'Come on we're grown women let's go and join the men and you two can ignore each other and talk to everyone else,' Joyce made for Watson, Dempsey, Spikings and Chas and Harry reluctantly followed in her wake. Harry joined the group and was handed a drink by Sergeant Jarvis.

'Fry's had the best birthday ever,' Chas's warm gaze met Harry's, 'he's girding his loins to ask you for a date.'

'Oh dear,' Harry looked slightly beleaguered. Fry was undoubtedly emboldened by the alcohol he'd consumed and was watching her with open admiration from across the bar.

'Brave man,' Watson remarked. 'Dempsey's still got the scars from their last make out,' he grinned at the pair of them.

Harry's eyes met Dempsey's and a frisson of excitement tingled through her body. 'I wasn't aware that Dempsey and I had made out, must have slipped my memory.'

The Lieutenant shrugged, 'Danny Thompson shooting his mouth off cos he got played,' he took a generous mouthful of beer.

'Ah, I see. Not really a make out then, I was in role; a female police officer defending her honour and you were low life Johnny Lupino with no honour at all so to speak.'

'Yeah that'd be it,' Dempsey responded with a glower. 'I've told Watson if they want to off him they can. Nearly broke my cover to save your ass Makepeace; I ain't doing it for a guy.'

'I see, so you risked your cover because I'm female and not because I was your partner is that what you're saying?' Harry's blue eyes challenged the dark male's.

'Yeah it's different with girls, you've got to look out for them. It's easier with a guy he takes his chances same as you.' Dempsey knew very well that Harry would hate that analysis. He was right he got her vodka and tonic right in the face. He didn't react just picked up a bar towel and wiped away the moisture.

'You earned that Lieutenant,' Spikings intervened in an attempt to pour oil on troubled waters. 'I won't have sexist comments in my team. Harry's more than proved herself a capable officer and certainly doesn't need taking care of.'

'Kay well next time Fry gets her in a lip lock I won't intervene,' James responded dryly. 'I'll leave it up to Tinkerbell to deal with his unwanted attentions.'

'If I can deal with you I'm sure I can handle Fry,' Harry responded with a glacial smile. 'As Watson said you still bear the scars!' The laughter at her comment rang around her as Dempsey's dark gaze pinned her to the spot, he didn't look amused.

'Guys are natural protectors,' Dempsey drawled. 'When you get a girl as a partner you've gotta look out for them that's the way it is and it's no use calling me a sexist boss cos you're no different.' He picked up his beer and sized Harry up. 'The way she looks; if I hadn't made a play for her the other guys would have.'

'Shall we change the subject, did anyone see the flyer for the inter department five a side,' since Joyce had heard the male members of the team talking about taking part she felt it was a good subject to introduce as Dempsey and Makepeace looked like they were about to come to blows.

'We should enter a ladies' team,' Makepeace offered with a challenging gleam in her eye, 'it would have to be cross department as there aren't very many of us due to the inherent chauvinism in the force,' her gaze stabbed her ex-partner.

'Yeah you do that and they'll have to change the rules; have timeout if you break a nail, girls and guys ain't the same and there's no point pretending otherwise.' Harry calling him a chauvinist was water off a duck's back she'd been singing that tune for three years.

'I'm in,' Joyce supported her friend whilst being unashamedly curious about the 'make out' between Dempsey and Harry, her partner hadn't mentioned it so Watson's remark had come as a surprise.

'I'm out,' Dempsey responded unpleasantly, 'soccer's a kids' game and my Mom ain't here to bake cookies,' he turned his back on the assembled company and started up a conversation with the bartender whom he knew well.

'Charming,' Joyce observed in an artic tone, the atmosphere was rescued by Fry coming up and slinging his arm around Makepeace.

'Harry has anyone ever told you, you're beautiful…

-oOo-


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning in the office Joyce was determined to follow up the conversation of the previous evening. 'We've got to enter a team now just to shut up Dempsey and Watson, all the other chaps agree with them but aren't so honest about it,' Joyce filled in the form. 'The problem is getting enough women to make up a team with reserves we need at least eight preferably ten.'

Harry suggested some names and Joyce got on the phone and by lunchtime they had a full squad of ladies who'd had their fill of chauvinistic colleagues.

Joyce eventually tackled the elephant in the room which was the 'make out' session between the former partners. 'So you never mentioned your romantic encounter with Dempsey, what happened?'

Harry sighed and suggested coffee and they made their way to the canteen. They got their respective beverages and sat down at one of the tables. 'Dempsey outed me as a police officer to Mara Giardino's team because they were going to shoot me when they found me snooping around their premises in an attempt to find Dempsey and make him stand down. He wouldn't stand down which is why we got into the whole mess in the first place.' She took a sip of her drink. 'Anyway Danny Thompson was suspicious and Dempsey said that I was his entertainment in order to make sure I didn't get unwelcome advances from the other men. And I suppose to establish Johnny Lupino's badass personae so to speak. To cut a long story short we pretended to do it, Thompson barged into the room at one point to see if we were genuine so we had to look the part. It was highly embarrassing and I'd like to forget the whole thing.'

'So you looked convincing,' Joyce's cat like eyes narrowed, 'so I'm making the assumption Dempsey kissed you at the very least.'

'Yes he kissed me and I fought him off, hence the damage. It was Dempsey's idea to simulate sex and I acted in role with all the necessary female outrage.'

'Were you naked?' Joyce's eyes sparkled with humour. She knew the partners were good, undercover operatives and had to wonder how far they'd take it.

'I don't think any more detail is necessary,' Harry sipped her tea and managed to control the blush that threatened to colour her cheeks as she recalled the sensation of his warm skin against hers. She remembered every detail of that night and it permeated her dreams on a regular basis.

'He's an attractive man; well the girls in the typing pool think so anyway,' Joyce demurred. 'Is he a good kisser,' she tried to suppress a grin. There were amusing aspects to the Dempsey and Makepeace relationship and it was often discussed in the office.

'Well he certainly gets enough practice…. Harry remarked dryly. She avoided directly answering the question but yes Dempsey was extremely proficient at kissing and she often found herself unconsciously fixated on his mouth which was a bit annoying.

'And practice makes perfect,' the other officer responded with a wicked smile. 'Awkward when you break down those kind of barriers with a male colleague.'

'Very,' Harry agreed offering Joyce a shortbread biscuit, 'hence I'm pleased to get a break from the partnership. I found it very difficult to deal with. When Dempsey goes undercover he lives the part, that's why he's so good at it. I found it hard to find James when he was Johnny Lupino.'

'And you don't care for Lupino,' Joyce probed deeper as she was curious as to how different the American could be, personally speaking she found the office version challenging enough.

'No, I don't.' Harry concurred. 'Dempsey has fought his way through Vietnam and the NYPD he's tough, hardened by his experiences. We were in a life or death situation and he wasn't about to pussyfoot around any misgivings I had and so….

'He went for it and you fought him off?' Joyce began to understand the difficulties of the situation.

'We played our roles which is why he has the scars, he asked me to go along with it so it wasn't a sexual assault but it's difficult to be natural with each other after that.'

'Yes, I understand. So what will you do if Spikings put you back into the partnership?' That was the million-dollar question.

'I don't know. Get on with it I suppose,' Harry shrugged. 'I don't like being in this situation or the way Dempsey's treating me at the moment. He was my partner and my friend and now we're at each other's throats, it's very difficult.'

'Why don't you talk to him about it; he's probably feeling the same especially if he thinks you were disloyal. Or perhaps his feelings are hurt if he cares for you, if you're more than just a partner to him.'

Harry shook her head, 'I don't think it's that, he just likes his own way. He's a very strong character; it takes me all my time to stand shoulder to shoulder with him. And then he comes out with that chauvinistic rubbish about protecting me. If he'd wanted to protect me he would have come in when I told him to. I was his control and he just ignored my instruction and now we are where we are.'

'He is your protector though, he hauled Fry off you and he didn't like it when the Detective Constable put his arm around you either. He glared at Fry and Fry backed off; even with a skin-full of alcohol your erstwhile Romeo got the message.'

'Yes well, James can be intimidating,' Harry admitted ruefully. She'd seen the look he gave Fry too and it had sent a bolt of sexual awareness screaming through her body. It had made her wonder what it would be like to be his; and she'd dwelled on that somewhat in the small hours of the night.

'Well as a casual observer I would say that our Lieutenant has feelings for you Harry, even if he hasn't worked that out yet. And he's probably finding the current situation difficult too and the fact you went along with it and didn't protest to Spikings when you were split up could be understood as rejection.'

Harry coloured slightly but didn't respond, it was difficult to talk to Dempsey when he was in a bad mood, she supposed she could break into his flat and sit at the bottom of his bed until he deigned to speak to her but felt awkward about doing that. And besides knowing Dempsey he might shoot her for trespassing. She sighed and felt very gloomy; she wanted her partner back; life just wasn't the same without him.

-oOo—

Dempsey was enjoying the first decent night's sleep since the night he'd spent with Harry in his bed. He tried hard not to think how soft her skin had felt or about the perfection of her breasts the silk between her thighs the perfume she wore; he could almost smell it. He could smell it; what the hell…. He woke up and focussed and there she was sat on the chair near his bed her blue eyes watching him. 'What are you doing here Harry?' He rubbed his eyes and sat up the bedclothes just about keeping him decent.

Harry's blue gaze burnt over his warm, tanned skin revealed by the sheets falling down to his navel as he'd moved. She collected bits of herself together and took a steadying breath. 'I rather thought we should talk; and then I thought what would Dempsey do if he wanted to talk to me and then it came to me the normal protocol is you break in so I did. The night porter recognised me so he let me into the lobby.'

What the hell was this about; this wasn't like Makepeace. I mean she was the one who had abandoned the partnership not him, and she seemed quite happy with the change which he resented. He resented that a lot. 'It's three o clock in the morning,' he growled as he checked the clock and ran his hand through his hair

'When has that ever mattered,' she responded evenly leaning forward in her chair her gaze earnest on his. 'I hate how it's been between us lately and I wanted to talk to you about it. We've known each other for three years and we've become friends we must be able to do better than this.'

'You wanted space, I've given you space,' he growled thumping the pillow and turned on his side settling back down to sleep. He wasn't about to admit how much he missed her and he didn't want this conversation.

'It-was-a difficult-situation,' she bit out furious that he was attempting to ignore her and she got up and grabbed his shoulder and pushed him onto his back again. 'Stop ignoring me,' Harry got right in his face as she demanded his attention her agitated breathing warm on his skin.

Dempsey didn't want to talk cos she'd be wanting the conversation women always wanted about relationships so he decided to aggravate her into leaving. He relaxed back against the pillows and that meant Harry sank into him as she was pushing against him. His gaze darkened on hers and then he moved the attention to her mouth, she had a mouth that just begged to be kissed. Returning his gaze to hers he could see she had that confused look she sometimes had on her when they'd got closer than normal and her eyes had dilated and the signals he was receiving would have been a sure sign with any other female but then again with Makepeace you could never call it.

Harry got caught in Dempsey's gaze, her ex-partner could certainly switch on the charm offensive and she hardly noticed as his hand sank into her hair as he pulled her closer and his mouth brushed hers and then became more demanding.

She came out of the hypnotic fascination and gasped in shock as he deepened the kiss. His tongue was teasing hers in a highly erotic manner and the scent of his body was addictive; she was drowning in what could only be called unbridled lust.

James broke the kiss to get some air in his lungs. 'Good conversation,' he drawled sarcastically and wasn't entirely surprised when she slapped him. Denial was his guess cos Harry'd been hot and willing and the knowledge of that coloured his gaze. 'I love it when you play rough,' his voice was like warm chocolate but his dark eyes challenged her.

Harry's temper exploded as she was fully aware of what he was doing and why. 'You're just doing this to make me leave and I'm not going to leave until you talk to me.' Bloody man he could be so infuriating when things didn't go his way. His super, massive ego just couldn't take it.

Dempsey's smug expression said it all. 'You can stay as long as you like,' he pulled her back down and this time rolled over and dominated the kiss as he was above her and she was flat on her back.

Harry's temper rocketed as well as every single nerve ending as his kiss seduced her and her hands tightened on his shoulders but failed to push him off. He raised his head and looked into her eyes his gaze full of masculine confidence. 'I played our make out back a million times and I came when your body pressed up against mine, you did it again just then. When a woman does that it means she's ready for the guy.'

'I was trying to throw you off,' Harry defended herself hotly. 'You're just trying to make me responsible for your adolescent behaviour.'

'Okay well if that's the case you let me kiss you and you maintain your cool for fifteen minutes and I'll admit I'm wrong.' His expression was amused cos he knew Harry and she rarely backed down from a challenge. He could see the internal battle and wondered whether the sensible or competitive Harry would win and was kind of surprised when she pulled his head down and kissed him with an intensity that made his toes curl. He didn't think he could handle fifteen minutes of that without following through. He had to take charge here cos he wasn't letting her screw around with him again. His lack of self-control on that other occasion still made him cringe with embarrassment.

Harry had all but forgotten that this was supposed to be a test as James took the initiative away from her by breaking the kiss and moving the action to her neck area, his hot mouth seared her skin and she let out a soft moan that told him everything he needed to know about her supposed indifference. Her body had cleaved to his pressing against his lower body urgently and the memory of that other occasion was like a living thing in the room with them.

The hot passion that they'd both felt came as something of a shock especially to Harry and when James released her they were both breathing irregularly and Dempsey was hard as a rock from the way she'd been pressing against him.

Dempsey thought of anything he could to cool his reaction to Harry's response as he finally understood, she'd run away from their partnership because she'd realised that she wanted him despite herself. Got the hots for a bit of rough from Brooklyn, how very distasteful. He was her guilty pleasure and that made him feel sick to his stomach.

He took a deep steadying breath and pushed her away. 'We're even now. You can go home and stay in the bath til you're pruny and don't worry I won't tell anyone the shameful fact that you go for a bit of downmarket rough and find that hard to compute. You're a coward Harry get out!'

Makepeace rose up from her prone position on the bed and was totally humiliated by that analysis and at that moment she hated him. She had feelings for James and to have those feelings analysed as some prurient sexual urge hurt her unbearably. She ran her hand through her tousled hair and swallowed hard as she glared at him. 'I thought we'd made progress over the last three years Dempsey but apparently I was wrong, I came here to try and get back to some kind of understanding and all you've done is use sex as a weapon.

Dempsey's temper was exacerbated by frustrated desire and the pain he'd felt at her rejection as he perceived it. 'I ain't being used to scratch an itch babe, three years ago I'd've been a willing volunteer so I guess we did move on.' He sat up and they were inches away from each other as she was kneeling on the bed. 'I saved your ass and you turned your back on me cos you couldn't handle the fact you wanted me, couldn't face it so you scuttled off and hid behind Spikings and Hargreaves. I ain't playing the nicey, nice game so screw you and get out of my apartment before I throw you out.'

'You bastard!' Harry scrambled off the bed scarlet with fury and stormed out of his flat, it would be a cold day in hell before she'd speak to that pig again. She felt hurt and humiliated that he could think so badly of her after everything they'd been through. Tears welled up and she angrily brushed them away as she reached the sanctuary of her car, he was a bloody idiot and so was she for letting him through her heavily guarded defences. She'd been a fool to go around there, a stupid, stupid, idiotic fool.


	6. Chapter 6

Dempsey filled in his expenses and then read over his report on the arms deal he'd just shut down. He opened an envelope that confirmed his transfer to SI10, the terms of his compensation from the NYPD which were generous and the statement more would be forthcoming on the conviction of Coltrane and the other bent cops.

Another letter confirmed his status as a D.I. which was only right since he'd been a Lieutenant for some time which was a higher rank than the Sergeants' here which officially made him Chief Inspector Spikings number two. He smiled with satisfaction at that, they'd all have to call him sir and since Spikings was a bit of a stickler for rank being observed he imagined he'd get some value out of that.

Later in the day Spikings called a team meeting and explained plans that had been formalized to expand SI10 due to their excellent track record and announced that they would be getting two more D.I.'s as well as Dempsey and there would be effectively three teams. Dempsey he named currently as his number two.

Joyce caught up with Harry in the Ladies locker room and she could see her partner and friend was somewhat rattled. 'I assume you're going to apply for one of the two positions Harry, the idea of working for D.I. Dempsey is going to take a bit of getting used to.'

'He usually took charge of the operational work anyway whether it was desired or not,' Makepeace observed wryly. 'I had to work hard to ensure my voice was heard.'

'Spikings thinks well of you Sergeant, you should apply… Joyce studied her friend and hoped that Jim Dempsey wasn't going screw up Harry's career again. For a sensible woman Makepeace seemed to react very oddly when it came to the now Detective Inspector.

'Or, I could transfer and work with one of the other teams in the Met,' Makepeace offered in a defensive tone. 'There are a number of roles I could apply for.' She didn't want to leave SI10 but the situation she'd found herself in with James was untenable and it had made her consider her options. And after the events of last night escaping his overbearing presence seemed desirable.

Joyce's eyes narrowed. 'I see.' She studied the younger woman's demeanour. 'Perhaps you should; our erstwhile Lieutenant and now D.I. seems to unsettle you. Did you try for a rapprochement? You don't need to answer that I can see that you did. And I'm assuming it didn't go well,' Hargreaves sat down and watched her friend's stormy expression disappear as she pulled on her cool Lady Harriet manner.

'I tried but D.I. Dempsey wasn't to be moved from his current position of being the most disagreeable man on the planet. In other words, it was a waste of breath.' She went over to the sink and splashed water in her face and felt thoroughly miserable at the current state of affairs.

Hargreaves kept her thoughts to herself on that as she hadn't got Harry's rose tinted views about Jim Dempsey and his response to Harry's approach wasn't a total surprise. She continued her former subject of conversation. 'Jarvis will probably go for it too; he's been a Sergeant for a while. You'll have to apply Harry as we need more females in senior positions even the inherent chauvinism in the force can't fail to acknowledge that.'

'I'll think about it,' Harry responded in an even tone not wanting to discuss the situation any further. An afternoon with the company accounts they were investigating seemed to be more pleasurable than fielding off questions about the state of her relationship with James or the prospect of promotion.

Meanwhile her bête noir was feeling like a complete louse. After coming down from his bad tempered outburst with Harry he'd began to realise that he'd been a total jerk. He could see he'd upset her because she was head down in whatever document she was looking at and trying to avoid any social interaction with the team.

His dark gaze travelled over her blonde hair, the curve of cheek and the angle of her jaw, he'd kissed every inch of the territory. She'd tasted great and her response had been totally mind blowing. Who knew that Sergeant Makepeace could go up in flames like that and on top of that she'd made the effort to try to work things out with him. What the hell was wrong with him? She'd taken him to meet her friends, her father and never seemed to be anything but happy to be in his company she certainly didn't preclude him from events and he'd accused her of regretting him which wasn't exactly fair. He guessed it was cos he was pissed because she'd agreed to them having a break and he'd hated that.

Chas was already applying for the D.I. role and Harry should do it too; she deserved it. He hadn't seen her take one of the application forms and was worried that she wouldn't because of him. I mean she'd already resigned once what if she did it again? He'd hated it when he didn't see her every day, even now with the current situation she was still here and there was always the possibility of reaching some kind of understanding.

He was watching her she could feel it. She had no intention of looking up and meeting his gaze she didn't want another altercation with James. A form appeared on her desk and she couldn't very well ignore him it as it was put on top of the file she was perusing.

'Thank you,' she removed it from obscuring her view of the accounts she was analysing and carried on. Harry hoped he'd leave it at that but had no great belief in that outcome. Please go, she said to herself mentally willing the result.

Dempsey sat on the side of her desk and prepared to make nice. 'I guess I deserve the freezing temperature in here,' he returned in a low tone to avoid those who were obviously monitoring their conversation. 'I apologise; I was out of order.' His gaze took in her body language and he could tell she wasn't ready for a thaw to set in.

'I'm not quite sure why you're suggesting I apply for promotion as you obviously feel I'm an operational encumbrance being a female as it were. And you also have a very low opinion of my personal behaviour,' her blue eyes were combative as they met his, 'in fact you've questioned my integrity, so it's something of a shock to find that you think I should be on the promotion ladder.'

'Yeah, so I was a jerk. You knew that anyway, I should have behaved differently last night I get that,' he glowered at her. What did she want he'd already said he was sorry? It was always the same with dames once you admit you're in the wrong they won't leave it at that.

'Please leave me alone James, I need some time to myself without your overpowering presence, I'll get around to the form if I feel it's the right move.' Harry was very out of sorts and not up to dealing with James after the encounter the previous evening. She'd been all over him last night and she was still squirming with embarrassment over her lack of self-control.

Makepeace putting on the ice always got up his nose and he reacted in typical fashion, 'Harry, you either come with me right now and go someplace where we can yell at each other or the rest of the team are gonna see me lift you out of that chair and throw you over my manly shoulder and take you there.'

'No, I absolutely refuse to go anywhere with you; is that clear enough for you,' Makepeace responded in an arctic tone and her chin rose in a belligerent fashion.

Harry rose out of her seat as Dempsey moved towards her and they glared at each other neither willing to give in.

'Dempsey,' Spikings bawled from his office stopping the American officer in his tracks, 'a word; in my office,' the older man was bristling with bad temper. He didn't know what the hell was going on between his crack team but he wasn't having a confrontation in his office.

Harry swallowed hard as she could see her ex-partner's indecision but he seemed to realise that cave man tactics in the office were a bad idea and headed off to Spiking's lair scowling with ill temper.

'Oh dear,' Joyce murmured sotto voce to Chas, 'I suppose they'll come to some sort of understanding sooner or later.'

'They haven't been the same since the Giardino collar,' Jarvis responded dourly his gaze taking in Harry's bent head and the stormy conversation going on in Spikings office. 'Somethings got to give because it's like sitting on a powder keg in here.'

'Agreed,' Hargreaves murmured. She went off to the kitchen to make Harry a cup of tea and provide a sympathetic ear if required. At the moment SI10 didn't seem to be big enough for the two ex-partners and that was a point of grave concern.

-oOo—


	7. Chapter 7

_Sorry can't manage three chapters this time but on the plus side it is a longer one & I hope you enjoy it. I'll try and get part two of this section up as quickly as possible : )_

Harry was in bed when the call came through from D.I. Jarvis that the American embassy was under siege by suspected Arab Freedom Fighters, Spikings and Dempsey were already there as were the S.A.S. She scrambled out of bed to dress pulling on a combat vest over her jumpsuit and taking her gun from where it was secured.

Spikings met her as she drove up to the police cordon, it was a familiar scene the blue lights of the beacons revolving, a barricade set up and the sound of the RT units crackling to life as information was passing back and forth.

'Harry, I need you to manage the uniformed police and keep this area locked down. There may be additional combatants hiding in any of the office buildings around here, we're getting the keys to all the buildings in this block and those adjacent. I need you to ensure systematic searches are done and smoke out anybody that looks like they may join the party.

'Where's Dempsey?' Makepeace asked the first thing that came into her head knowing her former partner was unlikely to be clearing any building unless it was the embassy.

'Briefing the S.A.S. from the inside,' the Chief Inspector responded tersely as he accepted a printed communication from Chas. 'He's managed to get himself in there and is using the intel to brief them as to where they should make entry. God help him if they get wind of his location.'

'I see,' Harry fought back the fear for her former partner and decided the best way she could help him was to make sure that the terrorists didn't' get reinforcements. Her instinct was to go in and protect his position but since she had no idea where he was that wasn't possible.

'Joyce came running up and took her briefing from Makepeace who was now an Inspector and they began to work through the buildings until they struck gold and found another cell which was heavily armed and ready to make a fight of it.

Whilst the S.A.S. scaled the American Embassy an impressive shoot out was in progress a block away with Harry in the thick of it. The smell of cordite was thick in the air as Spikings came to view the location which was now engaged in battle royal as the Embassy team had done their work and what was left of the Arab Freedom Fighters were being taken to hospital or lifted out in body bags.

Hargreaves jogged up to him. 'This engagement is the main support cell sir; we've checked the rest of the buildings inside the police cordon. 'D.I. Makepeace is attempting to negotiate with them but they seem to be somewhat reluctant to surrender their position.'

'We've got to consider the possibility that they may detonate explosives in the building,' Spikings responded tersely. 'Where is Makepeace?'

'In the building opposite, third floor which is opposite to where they're holed up, we also have people on the roof of the building we're monitoring them from. If they get on the roof we can take them out from our position and other buildings around their location.'

'Good work,' Spikings acknowledged as he went to the rear of the building Harry was in and joined her. He radioed the S.A.S. team and gave them the location of the current affray only to be told that the embassy was the S.A.S.'s theatre of operation and SI10 could take it from here.'

'Glory boys,' Spikings swore fluently. 'He then had the Home Office minister on the comms and spent time informing the minister of the current situation. Dempsey joined them as he'd done what needed to be done at the Embassy. He'd been winged by a bullet, caught in the ricochet and his arm was bleeding.

'Fry,' Makepeace shouted to the young officer. 'Apply a field dressing to D.I. Dempsey's arm,' she turned to Spikings, 'they don't appear to be willing to negotiate sir, so our options as I see it are to go in or just mount a siege turning off all utility supplies to the building. Even then there are probably enough machines dispensing snacks and drinks to keep them going for a few days.'

'Yes well the minister wants us to go in immediately as the left are planning a massive demonstration tomorrow in support of the A.F.F. and we might get some hotheads breaking through the police cordons. We have police divisions in coaches now coming up to the city and the S.P.G. are already getting into position. I have to go and brief a bunch of journalists shortly. So Harry I suggest you work out the best way to get into that building with the least number of casualties and brief me on that when I get back.'

'Yes sir,' Makepeace swallowed hard. She walked over to Dempsey who had his shirt half off and was gritting his teeth as Fry applied the field bandage to his damaged arm and shoulder. 'I need to discuss an operational matter Detective Inspector are you well enough to do that.'

'Yeah sure, happy to help,' he gave her that smug grin that got right up her nose. Makepeace had ignored him for weeks and he couldn't help feeling pleased that she needed his help.

Harry was irritated but not so much that she'd forgo his assistance because in the end she was the sensible one of the two of them. She waited for Fry to finish and then Dempsey shrugged on his shirt minus the sleeve and a combat vest and followed her to a small room where the plans for the building opposite were laid out 'Roof do you think?'

'Well they ain't on the roof so it seems like an option, what about the underground car park and the sewers that could be an alternative. If they've got any sense they'll have cut off the lifts and have all stairwells guarded. S.A.S. went in through the windows.'

'How about sending teams in from the roof and from the car park and firing tear gas or smoke bombs through the windows on the third floor to disable them or cause a distraction.'

'Sounds like my kind of plan Makepeace,' Dempsey smiled at her look of focussed concentration, she was frowning in a cute way which he'd always kind of liked.

'If they detonate explosives in the building we'll have massive casualties,' she bit her lip and looked at her former partner; why was he smiling at her like she was a cuddly toy? She pulled herself back into professional mode. 'I suppose that's a risk I'm going to have to take. If we fire gas into the building and they have wired it up they'll be likely to blow the place sky high.'

Dempsey thought about that. 'Well if we have to fight our way to the third floor from above or below they're gonna take that as a signal to blow the place anyway. Going in with silencers won't help as they're bound to defend themselves and that means noise.'

'Is there any way we could get directly to the third floor without the ensuing gun battle,' Harry looked at the plans again. 'Lift shaft,' she looked at Dempsey. 'If they're guarding the stairwell and have disabled the lift we might be able to get up the lift shaft, open the doors and sneak in that way.'

'Depends where the lift is and it depends on how many people we can get up to the door, one guy hauling himself up the cables ain't gonna do it. Screw it, gas the bastards, that gives us a fighting chance of taking them out.'

'Or we volunteer to go in and negotiate with them,' Harry offered in a quiet voice already anticipating his answer to that; his objection was almost a given.

'Well you ain't doing that,' Dempsey growled at her because he knew she wouldn't allow anybody else to do it if she suggested that course of action. 'I mean it Harry, you don't even put that on the table,' his dark eyes held hers and he could see for once she accepted his call on that. 'Anyway the Home Office want this out of the way by tomorrow and negotiations take time.'

'Any other utility shafts in the building we could use,' Harry poured over the plan and identified the shafts for electricity, air conditioning and the like and then she saw it. A large dumb waiter up to the canteen on the fourth floor which would give them one stair well to take out. 'Dempsey, look at this,' she pointed out the access from the delivery area in the underground car park. It stops at the fourth floor not the third but that would work.'

'Good thinking Harry always said you were smart,' anything he thought other than the negotiation option the thought of the princess, in the clutches of those animals made his blood run cold. 'I'll take a team up since you're the control for this.'

Harry looked at the field bandage that was showing blood seeping through it. 'You're injured and anyway Spikings can act as control.' She went through a number of things they would need and got Hargreaves onto the logistics whilst Dempsey glowered at her.

A female doctor arrived and Harry took her to one side. 'My colleague was caught in a ricochet and has flesh wounds can you examine him. He won't admit he's unfit for duty but he's already done his bit on this caper.' Harry would dearly love to see Dempsey safe in the hospital and not screwing up her command decisions by playing the protector because she knew he would. A warm feeling flooded through her, she knew he cared about her and would take a bullet for her without questions asked.

The doctor duly signed the American off and gave him a couple of tablets for the pain which he immediately palmed until Makepeace opened his hand and said 'open wide' as she took the two tablets off him and made him take them into his mouth.

'You're such a baby,' she muttered as she went back to brief Spikings on her plan. Spikings approved the dumb waiter idea as their best chance and said they'd hold back on the gas option until they got a signal from Makepeace to deploy.

'I'll distract them by opening up dialogue, all's fair in love and war.' He looked at Dempsey succumbing to the sedative in the corner. 'Pity about the Yank he's good at this stuff.'

Harry understood that but he'd already played a key role in the embassy operation and she didn't want to worry about the mayhem he would be creating so as far as she was concerned it had all worked out as well as it could. She picked out a team of six to go with her, Watson and Hargreaves were assigned.

'Good luck Harry, and watch your back,' Spikings growled finding it hard to send the two women on the operation even though he had the greatest respect for both officers.

Dempsey was playing dead and let them put him on a stretcher but then he got off it as they reached the ground floor and got into the dumb waiter with Harry just before the doors closed.

Harry swallowed hard knowing this was not the time to have an all-out fight with her fellow officer.

'I'll go first cos I've done a lot of this, Makepeace you got my back. We need to take the stair guard out with a silencer or I break his neck.' The doors slowly glided open and they crept out the guard was asleep on the stairs so Dempsey hit him across the back of the head with his gun and tied his hands and feet and gagged him. They then shoved him into the lift which was stuck at that floor.

'Right,' Harry took over placing her hand on Dempsey's forearm to indicate she was taking charge. She instructed the officers on formation and they quietly entered the third floor. The terrorists were looking out the windows with night sight binoculars or huddled around the radio where they were negotiating with Spikings. Harry bit her lip but knew what she had to say once they'd taken point. 'Armed police, put down your weapons.' As nobody was doing that each police officer took aim and took down one of the combatants. As far as possible they shot to disable rather than kill and Dempsey grabbed the guy who lunged for the detonator. The switch was depressed so he spent the next half hour defusing the bomb whilst fighting against the sedative. Harry got everyone out of the building and the bomb squad came in to assist just as the American disabled the device.

'Over to you,' Dempsey growled at the squad's senior officer, Trevelyan, 'and before you say anything I did the training for this in the NYPD and the U.S. army; think I even got a badge for it. I'll leave it to you guys to find the semtex.' He walked out of the building and joined Spikings and Makepeace by the police cars.

'Good work,' Spikings was delighted with SI10's performance. 'Nice to have some of them to interrogate for once rather than body bags. They're going to army medical facilities outside the city as a number of our citizens might be stupid enough to try and liberate them from hospital. Fortunately, crowd policing doesn't come under our remit so we can leave the demonstration tomorrow to the Metropolitan Police who deal with that. I have to speak to the press but the rest of you can get some well-earned rest,' he looked over at Dempsey. 'I hadn't realised D.I. Makepeace had asked for your assistance.'

'D.I. Dempsey felt well enough to take part in the operation sir and due to his experience in this type of situation I thought it advantageous to use his specialist skills.' Harry lied to cover Dempsey's rear as she had done many times before.

'Y-e-s,' Spikings wasn't fooled. 'Well all's well that ends well and I like to see team loyalty, well done everyone I'll see you all in the office tomorrow afternoon.'

'Idiot,' Harry hissed under her breath at Dempsey as she watched Spikings go. That was the problem with James he just threw himself at danger with no concern about those whom he'd leave behind.

'Hey, I've got the experience with explosives and you don't,' he pointed out as Makepeace grabbed his good arm in a determined fashion and guided him to the ambulance.

'Shut up, we're going to the hospital and you will take note of what the doctor's say or I'll personally put you in a body bag.' Harry had been terrified the bomb would go off and take said idiot with it.

'Anything you say honey,' he smiled at her and sat rather than lay down on the ambulance bed. Harry was really cute when she was angry; made him want to kissher better. Yeah that was it, turn that frown upside down.

'Stupid machismo,' Harry said snippily. At least he hadn't undermined her command but that had been touch and go. She'd had to let him go in first because she knew he wouldn't take any notice if she'd disagreed with him. 'I could take a course in bomb disposal,' she muttered, 'but of course we could always use the bomb disposal unit as that's what they're there for.'

'There isn't always the time to do that Harry, I mean it's not like I wake up and think, do you know what today seems a good day to disable a bomb! It ain't like that. You deal with the cards you're given.'

'How's the arm and shoulder,' she changed the subject as she could see he was paler than normal and was feeling too tired herself to carry on the argument.

'The arm and shoulder are a bitch, but you're safe and bullet free so I call that a result.' The meds had started to work and he was feeling relaxed and affectionate. 'You know Makepeace when you get round to being my girl I'm not sure I want you in the firing line, might be a good idea to go back to the museum or polishing the ancestral silver.'

'Thank you Detective Inspector, it's nice to know I have career choices,' she held his gaze and blinked at the warmth she saw there. 'I'm attributing your current mental state as succumbing to the medication.'

'Whatever gets you through the night sweetheart, you like me though… He smiled at her benignly and was impervious to the fact that he was embarrassing Makepeace in front of the paramedics.

'We'll get your boyfriend to A&E if you'd like to go to the waiting room there,' the female paramedic grinned at Makepeace as the interplay between the blonde policewoman and the American hunk had brightened up her evening.

'Thank you,' Harry didn't bother to challenge their relationship status as it would only have amused all concerned if she had.

-oOo—


	8. Chapter 8

Dempsey had been on sick leave for a week and the office seemed very quiet without his huge personality. Harry had gone to his flat to see if he was okay only to find Suzanne Leyton, one of the Met's psychiatrists, playing nursemaid. After that Harry kept her distance as her ex-partner was a terrible patient and she was somewhat annoyed to find the other woman making him chicken soup.

Chas came into the office and came over to the blonde detective. 'Message from Jim, he wants you to go over to his place; something he wants to discuss.'

Harry sat back in her chair and looked calmly at her colleague. 'I don't suppose Dempsey said what the subject of the conversation would be?'

'I was just leaving when he asked,' Chas responded in his usual non-committal manner, 'he's feeling better; should be back at work before long if the doc gives him the green light.'

'Well we can have the conversation then,' Makepeace responded in an even tone.

'Maybe he's after some TLC,' Watson grinned over at her knowing she'd love that suggestion.

'I think Dempsey will probably have overdosed on TLC if I know him; and some poor, deluded woman will probably be supplying it.' She picked up a bunch of files and went down to the room where they stored their case histories. It gave her the necessary break from the conversation.

She wondered what he wanted to talk to her about and had no intention of discussing that night in his flat; it would be too humiliating. Added to that he'd realised that her body had cleaved to his during the stupid make-out session so he knew she… Her body went scarlet with embarrassment at the thought of Dempsey knowing she was not immune to his physical charm. He'd never let her live that down. It wasn't the same for him, he'd always told her he wanted her and she'd had the edge because she'd always depressed his pretensions when he flirted with her. It made her feel very unsettled and to be honest; she felt like doing a runner which was very cowardly. Maybe she should visit and get the whole thing over with as that was the mature thing to do.

In addition to everything else they weren't exactly partners anymore they were colleagues so there would be no barrier as such to their changing their relationship status. She knew they'd both valued working together and their partnership had put a brake on any kind of boyfriend, girlfriend kind of thing. God that sounded juvenile she was nearly thirty and he was ten years older. And then the issue of Suzanne and the TLC, obviously Dempsey was still playing the field and Harry had no intention of being just another notch on his bedpost. She put the files away and went back to the office still having an internal debate about what to do.

'Phone,' Chas handed it over to Harry.

'Harry, get your ass over here we need to talk,' the American's brusque tones were immediately recognisable and Harry gave a wry smile.

'Detective Inspector Dempsey, how are you,' she asked in a patient tone knowing it would get right up his nose.

'Well you'd know how I was if you'd bothered to visit me,' Dempsey wasn't pulling any punches with Makepeace's lack of concern for his well-being. 'What is it with you, I get shot and you don't even bother to bring me grapes. Even Watson managed to pop in not to mention Fry and Chas…

'Well you haven't been lonely then,' Harry responded in a smug tone as she hadn't even mentioned Suzanne and neither had he. 'I apologise for my perceived neglect but I did pop in and see if you were okay and you were being looked after by a friend of yours so I knew you'd be all right.'

Dempsey knew that she was in a snit about Suzanne and that's why she hadn't visited. 'Makepeace, I knew that's what was bugging you, just cos there's other women in the world that don't mean I'm dating them.'

'Well that's really not my concern Dempsey, I'll try and pop by do you need anything in particular?' Her polite tone was maintained at a cost. She certainly wasn't going to get into an exchange about his dating habits when the rest of the office were no doubt earwigging on her side of the conversation.

'Make it tonight and bring dinner; it's very hard to cook with one arm out of action, and I don't want any rabbit food bring something you'd disapprove of.'

'I'll see what artery clogging fare I can find,' Harry gave a wince of a smile as she responded. 'Later, Dempsey I have work to do,' she ended the call. She turned to Chas, 'I thought you said he was better, Dempsey said he can't cook with one arm out of action.'

'Maybe he's had a relapse,' Chas's lips twitched but he maintained his usual dour expression.

'Maybe he wants Harry to soothe something,' Watson chipped in. 'Better watch out Makepeace he looked pretty active for a one-armed man to me.'

'I'll take my chances,' she responded coolly. 'Any progress on Maltravers,' she reminded Watson of who was working for whom and he got the message loud and clear.

-oOo—

Harry swallowed hard and knocked lightly on her colleague's door, it was tempting to put the food outside and hightail it out of there but almost as if Dempsey had guessed her frame of mind he whipped open the door.

'Makepeace, so nice of you to call,' he moved aside to let her enter and then shut the door behind her as she walked through to his kitchen to put down the food. 'So you don't come to see me because of some broad bringing me chicken soup, you're unbelievable. No need to be jealous princess, I'm all yours.'

'I'm sure,' she responded unwilling to engage in the personal. 'How's your arm, you don't seem to be moving awkwardly,' she got out the boxes of food and asked for plates.

'My arm's okay,' he growled as he got out two plates and the necessary hardware. 'I can smell meat, aw you got me a burger; you must've been feeling guilty.'

'Dempsey, I did visit you so don't pretend I ignored you and I stayed at the hospital with you and brought you home, I'm not the only person you know in London.' She plated the food up and took it to the table.

'Well you're the one I know the best,' he responded irritably. 'Anyway we need to talk about my lack of manners the last time you were here.'

'I'd really rather not,' she picked at her chicken salad and felt her cheeks heat and willed the blush away.

'I'm sorry about what I said,' he looked over at her his body language uncomfortable. 'I shouldn't've said you were…

'I accept your apology,' she responded hurriedly. 'We were in an extreme situation and everything else was a fall out from that,' she sipped at her glass of water.

'Yeah but that doesn't account for the fact that we're hot for each other,' Dempsey could see that skittled her and he patted her back as she choked on the water she'd taken in.

'Went down the wrong way,' she apologised for her bout of coughing. 'I really should go….

Dempsey sighed he hated these conversations just as much as she did but there were some things you couldn't ignore. 'Harry we're talking about this, I ain't good at this stuff either but we need to clear the air. It's not a mild attraction we're talking here it's more than that.'

'I think feelings were exacerbated because we were thrown into a difficult situation, neither of us are exactly ugly and….

'Bullshit,' Dempsey didn't bother being polite about it. 'You're pretending you react like that with anyone and that ain't true cos you only date intermittently and then you dump them before they get comfortable.'

'Well then spare yourself the trouble we can go straight to the dumping,' Harry offered in a bright tone. She got up but then sat down again as he obviously wasn't letting that be the end of the conversation.

'Nope, that's not gonna work,' he growled. 'I want to date you Harry. We ain't partners anymore so Spikings can't object not that he would've anyway. He said you might have feelings for me after you resigned that time.'

'Do I get a say in this?' Makepeace asked in an exasperated tone. It seemed to her that James was calling all the shots here and she didn't like that very much as she was way out of her comfort zone.

'Depends on how hard you want to make it. I know you want me Harry so how'd you think this is gonna go down if you try and pretend we're just buddies?' He bit into the burger and watched her with amusement as he knew she was wriggling on the hook with this one.

'Are you suggesting you'd sexually harass me,' she asked in an offended tone as she certainly wouldn't be forced into intimacy by any man.

'Nope, I'm suggesting that the fact that you want me is gonna make things difficult if you stay in denial. You were jealous of Suzanne that oughta tell you something. And I ain't the type to be celibate so you either get on board or I give up on us and look elsewhere and you're gonna hate that.' The latter part was bravado as he was stuck on her and didn't want anyone else.

'Dempsey you're hard enough to deal with as a colleague, I'm not entirely sure I could handle a relationship of that nature with you.' She played around with her chicken salad to distance herself from the conversation a little.

'Never took you for a coward Harry,' he growled as he finished his meal. 'You've always stood your ground with me.' He liked that about Makepeace, she was a challenge.

'I'm not entirely reckless,' she frowned as she uncomfortably admitted her concerns, 'and you're… you're very wilful.'

'So are you,' he smiled at her. 'C'mon Harry, we're different but we're kind of a good different you know, and you'll regret it if you don't take that leap of faith.'

'James just leave it. I acknowledge that we physically… that there is… Harry found it very difficult to articulate where their relationship was at this juncture.

'You want me is that what you're trying to say,' his dark eyes were warm on hers as she struggled with the word. And he knew Harry wanting him meant that she care, cared cos she was the sort of woman that would put those two together.

'You're impossible,' she fired up reluctant to give in to the all-consuming attraction Dempsey had for her. 'You can't railroad me into a relationship with you.'

'You're already in a relationship with me,' he responded in an even tone. He got up and pulled her out of her seat and into his arms. 'You can fight me all you like but it's only gonna end up one way.'

'Your way,' she looked up at him her eyes momentarily vulnerable she felt as if she was teetering on the brink of an emotional chasm. 'James, I…

'It's very sexy the way you say my name,' he tipped up her chin and looked at her mouth. 'So many times when I've just wanted to kiss the mouth off you,' he brushed his mouth against hers.

'Stop it,' she said weakly, and she admitted to herself that her protest hadn't sounded exactly convincing.

'Yeah,' he said as he took her mouth his hard and passionately demanding. She gave a soft moan; what was that protest or pleasure. He guessed it was positive when her body relaxed into his and her arms ran around his neck. He liked the way she ran her fingers through his hair and the way her mouth was responding to his and when her tongue slid against his, his temperature fired.

Harry was shocked at the intensity of Dempsey's response when her tongue had tentatively stroked against his, he'd pulled her so much closer and she could feel every inch of his hard body against hers. His heart was beating rapidly, was this run of the mill for him or was she different. When his lips burnt against her neck, she tried to pull herself together but ended up arching her neck to give him better access.

A knock at the door startled them both and then another insistent rapping saw them break apart. Dempsey swore fluently under his breath and went to answer it only to find Suzanne outside. 'Sorry this isn't a good time,' he began but Makepeace interrupted.

'Don't worry about me I was just leaving, see you back at the office Dempsey; hope the arm progresses nicely,' she skipped out of the door and fought the temptation to run. She knew that wouldn't be the end of it but was glad for the momentary reprieve.

Dempsey was furious but drew back his temper and politely asked Suzanne in for coffee. An hour later he made the arm the excuse for ushering his admirer out the door.

Harry returned to her house and then jumped as the phone rang. She automatically picked it up and said her name.

'Your romantic etiquette needs some work,' the words were growled down the phone.

'Saved by the bell quite literally,' she offered glibly and then she bit her lip her expression concerned, that had sounded crass.

'You can come to me next time,' he responded heavily. 'I ain't running after you Harry, you gotta meet me half way.'

Harry thought she was safe on that score as it was unlikely that she would make a move on him but her body was trembling at the sound of his voice which was bad. She rallied and attempted to get back to solid ground as after all every time she went to his place she tripped over Suzanne. 'James, we're friends can't we just….

'No we can't,' he responded impatiently. Like any man who was deeply attracted to a female he hated the friends bullshit. Being friends was something a guy invested in until the girl worked out that she wanted him too. 'Find your backbone Makepeace, you've always risen to the challenge don't let me down.'

'Goodnight James,' she was determined to end the conversation as this was one challenge that she was reluctant to face. But the tone of her voice was soft, husky even which hadn't been the business-like no nonsense manner she'd been going for.

'Night baby,' he responded in that warm, golden tone he kept just for her and it had the desired effect.

Makepeace felt her knees go weak and reluctantly put the phone down and spent the rest of the evening castigating herself for her weakness.

-oOo—


	9. Chapter 9

Joyce gave Makepeace a cup of tea and her gaze ran over her senior officer's face she looked exhausted. Instinctively she looked over at Dempsey, he was watching Harry and his eyes were dark and determined. Oh dear, when the two officers had a falling out everyone felt the reverberations and this looked like a doozy.

Spikings erupted out of his office with Chas at his heels. 'Hostage taking at the airport; Heathrow's closed down, sounds like a nutter. Harry go and find the wife, Dempsey come with me.' A file was slammed down on Harry's desk and the men moved out of the office checking their guns on route.

'Ah the wife, then that must be my job,' Harry said in a mildly pissed off tone. In truth, she got enough excitement so she was just going through the motions of complaining. 'Joyce perhaps you and Watson could find Mrs. McIntyre and bring her in for questioning.' She got up and stretched and then got a call on her mobile as she walked into her office.

'You look tired are you okay,' Dempsey's warm voice caressed her ear. He was determined to lay siege to Harry.

'I'm fine why did you call,' the female detective responded too tired with all the emotional pressure she was under, to be more than civil.

'I called cos I wanted to talk to you and besides it's boring here as the boss is insisting on talking to the guy rather than going in. Heathrow's been evacuated the place is dead.'

'Well I'm sorry you're bored Dempsey but as far as I'm aware I haven't been hired to entertain you; look I'm sorry I have to get on. When Mrs McIntyre has been brought in I'll be in touch, bye.' Harry killed the call and rested her head in her hands. It felt as if he was pushing her all the time, nudging her into life and it was wearing her out; her resistance and his constant unspoken demand.

Her resistance was based on fear of what James could do to her if he got too close; he was already too close she could feel his breath on her neck. I'm getting whimsical she thought with a deep sigh. Maybe I should just give in and then maybe I could get a good night's sleep. Her nights were peppered with erotic dreams all featuring her ex-partner and it was driving her insane. Worse than that she missed his company and it had taken all her willpower to cut that call today. She loved the sound of his voice, God what had she become; some weak wimp of a woman cursed with longing for a man.

'Everything okay Harry,' Fry asked with concern. 'Hargreaves has Mrs. McIntyre and she's bringing her in so I've got the interview room ready, she should be back in about thirty minutes.'

'Thank you Fry, and yes I'm fine,' she looked back at her computer to indicate the conversation was over. He was hovering and this would be a really bad time for him to hit on her she'd had enough of male gallantry, an overdose in fact although it was difficult to call Dempsey gallant.

'I er… I have tickets for the opera if you would like to go,' Fry offered going a bright beetroot colour. 'I know I'm younger than you and of a lower rank but I'd just like to…

'I'm sorry Fry it wouldn't be appropriate, you are my subordinate in rank and as a female in a male dominated institution I have to be very careful to abide by the rules on social engagement. Thank you for asking me it was kind of you,' she added to soften the blow. Her head was aching with exhaustion but she still tried to put the necessary effort in so that the young man didn't feel humiliated.

'Okay, I just thought it was something you would enjoy and that Dempsey would never think of taking you to,' Fry did know she saw the D.I. socially.

'Very true,' she was losing patience now. 'I'd be grateful if you would tell me when Hargreaves and Watson return,' her phone rang and she picked it up signalling an end to the conversation.

'Harry, you got Mrs hostage-taker in the interview room yet; the boss is getting a bit uptight, the guy won't release the hostages until his wife gets here and he's a wack job so we need some kind of angle.'

'Hello D.I. Dempsey,' the female detective responded sarcastically as Dempsey always entered a conversation like he was already in the middle of it. 'Mrs McIntyre should be here any minute do you want me to bring her straight there or interview her first, we don't know her take on the situation she may refuse to co-operate.'

'Don't give her that option Makepeace, currently she's all we've got. Oh, crap! A gun's just gone off, I'll get back to you.'

'Be careful,' Harry said to dead air as he'd gone. She looked up as Hargreaves and Watson came in with a fairly belligerent looking Mrs McIntyre.

She went out of her office to be greeted by the woman with a disclaimer as to any involvement with her husband. 'I've split up with him, officially separated and whatever he's doing has nothing to do with me and I have no intention of going to the airport to talk to that git.'

Harry took a deep breath and pulled out her patient expression and voice tone. 'I appreciate your feelings Mrs McIntyre but you are the only hope those hostages have.'

'Yes well it's me he probably wants to take a pop at and I don't fancy volunteering for my own funeral,' Courtney was pretty sure they couldn't make her go to Heathrow as she hadn't done anything wrong except marry the wrong man and as far as she knew that wasn't a crime.

'You will have police protection; we will not allow Mr McIntyre to harm you in any way. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to accompany me to Heathrow, Mrs McIntyre.'

'I want a lawyer; I want legal advice I don't want to go and I don't see how you can make me.'

Harry sighed heavily as she was well aware that legally they couldn't make the woman go to the crime scene. 'There are people's lives on the line, please will you consider that.'

After a trying half an hour Makepeace convinced Courtney to go with her to Heathrow and she had Fry contact Dempsey to tell him they were on their way.

What followed was farcical. Brian McIntyre insisted on swapping his wife for the hostages and Courtney McIntyre point blank refused. Makepeace didn't really blame her as the man was clearly unbalanced. In the end Harry dressed in Courtney's clothes as they were a similar build and put on an auburn wig from one of the mannequins in the retail area; the act of which had tinges of a past case with a serial killer.

Dempsey then turned up and refused to let her take the place of Courtney McIntyre. 'Look we ain't sacrificing D.I. Makepeace in order to get the hostages back, when he finds it ain't his wife he's likely to shoot Harry. You ain't doing it,' he thundered at his ex-partner.

'I think you'll find I'm the senior officer here Dempsey,' Spikings looked like he was going to internally combust. He had the top brass on his case as anything to do with airports was high profile. 'Dempsey's right though it's an unacceptable risk.'

'There are twenty hostages' sir, I'm one person it's a numbers game,' Harry protested infuriated at the American's interference.

'It ain't a numbers game there's only one Harry Makepeace and you're not doing it,' he rounded on Spikings. 'I think we should go in if the wife won't play ball. Or what if we arrange an interview room for him to talk to his wife if he lays down his arms and releases the hostages.'

'We can try that,' Spikings went back to the room where he had comms set up and started the conversation.

The American glowered at his ex-partner who in her turn was glaring at him. 'Funny you'll sacrifice yourself for people you've never met, that's brave Harry.' His dark gaze told her that he didn't think much of her courage on other issues.

'Shut up Dempsey,' she was beyond frustrated with the situation she'd found herself in. He was right of course which didn't really improve her mood.

'I'll dress up in the damned wig and dress rather than let you go in there and I damn well know if I volunteered for it you'd be against it.'

'I agree, I don't think you'd be very convincing Detective Inspector,' Makepeace's sarcasm set Courtney of in a paroxysm of laughter which lasted longer than appropriate as she was as stressed as the rest of them.

'The dress isn't your colour,' Courtney guffawed and the irritation of the two detectives made the whole situation even funnier.

Spikings came back, 'he's willing to have a conversation with Mrs McIntyre over the comms system but refuses at this point to give up arms or the hostages.'

Courtney shrugged. 'What am I supposed to say to him? I'm not having him back,' she looked horrified at the thought.

'Perhaps you might pretend there is a chance of reconciliation,' Spikings offered in laboured tones, 'he will be arrested anyway as he's taken hostages and he's bearing arms illegally.

'Lie to him you mean,' Courtney bristled. 'I'm not a liar, I've never lied to him….

Whilst not lying in principle was a good thing the SI10 team felt that in this particular situation a couple of white lies couldn't hurt.

Harry could see Dempsey ready to give a few brutal home truths to Mrs McIntyre and quickly stepped in. 'I appreciate it goes against the grain to not be entirely truthful Courtney but those people who are currently your husband's hostages really need your help and in fact your husband needs your help because if he kills any of them he will never leave a prison cell.'

'We're separated,' the woman seethed. 'Oh all right, I'll see what I can do. He's mentally unstable that's what he is, thank God we never had kids.'

'Amen to that,' Dempsey remarked sotto voce. He took the icy glare from Makepeace as his due. He wasn't as sympathetic to the low life scum as she was and whatever Courtney said she'd in some way contributed to this situation.

Spikings led the woman off and asked Makepeace to accompany them.

Dempsey lit a cigar and caught Hargreaves sarcastic appraisal. 'What, I got dirt on my face or something?'

'I was just thinking that the diplomatic core was never your calling Detective Inspector,' she accepted a cup of coffee from Fry. 'And the thought of you in a dress has its amusing aspects.'

'Yeah well laugh it up at least Makepeace didn't get to do the switcheroo, what's she think's gonna happen when McIntyre realises he's been conned. On the other hand, maybe he'd think he got an upgrade cos Courtney ain't all that.'

Hargreaves loved to hear the male point of view on female attractiveness it was so illuminating.

Dempsey hadn't finished as he was annoyed with the whole situation. 'I mean what makes a guy get an illegal firearm, take twenty people hostage and shut down a whole airport just to have another chance with a dame who's dumped his sorry ass? I mean where's his pride it's pathetic.'

'Maybe he thinks it's a grand gesture,' Joyce responded airily. 'He's obviously mentally unwell as he can't have thought through the consequences. Maybe he thinks she'll visit him in prison or maybe he's going to bargain for a free flight to sunny Spain with Courtney as his companion.'

'You forgot the luncheon vouchers, got to eat while they're there,' Dempsey added sarcastically.

Spikings came out rubbing a hand over his hair. 'He's asked for a flight to the Costa del Sol; the honeymoon destination apparently. Mrs McIntyre agreed to go with him on the basis that Makepeace goes with them, the D.I. is willing to go. The Spanish authorities are being contacted. In that way, we take the problem away from Heathrow and the hostages will be freed. As the Spanish authorities are unlikely to agree to our exporting the problem I suggest we make an intervention before the plane takes off so Dempsey go suit up as a pilot and Hargreaves you're an air hostess and Fry can be a steward.'

'My childhood dream,' Hargreaves returned sarcastically.

'They had planes then huh,' Dempsey responded in his usual style as they all made for the crew's quarters where they could change.

Harry observed James in the pilot's uniform and looked unsettled, 'I suddenly feel rather unwell, deja vue I think it's called. No jumping out of the plane this time Dempsey, give me your word.'

The American shrugged nonchalantly as he pulled on the pilot's jacket, 'the idea is we don't take off, has he still got the gun in our sunny, Spain scenario or can Courtney here persuade him to give it up?'

'He's insisting on keeping the gun, he's willing to let the hostages go however so that's a win.' Spikings was very keen to get the hostages out of it and have his team deal with the lovelorn, mentally challenged male.

'Hargreaves you need to get busy with pre take-off drinks, make him think he's going on his holidays,' Dempsey growled as he fastened up his jacket whilst Hargreaves straightened the seams of her stockings in her little outfit and Makepeace changed back into her own clothes. 'Harry you got your gun?'

'Yes,' the blonde officer answered tersely and then stiffened as the Met psychiatrist Suzanne Leyton joined the party. It was ridiculous she shouldn't react so negatively after all she'd met plenty of Dempsey's 'friends,' in her time.

'Superintendent Ball asked me to be on hand,' the woman explained her presence. The psychiatrist was used to the general irritation when she turned up as the gung-ho operational units rarely enjoyed having a 'shrink,' on the scene to complicate matters.

Spikings looked beleaguered. 'Very well, Dr Leyton, if we manage to get the hostage taker off the plane in one piece it will be very helpful to have you evaluate his mental state.'

'He's a wack job and a dangerous one at that, already fired bullets around so we're into damage limitation here not a counselling session,' Dempsey added his ten cents worth.

'Can you take me through the situation so far,' Suzanne asked in her patient, professional tone.

'Makepeace,' Spikings yelled as she was the only one who had the patience to deal with this kind of situation.

Harry was feeling low on patience but dutifully led Suzanne over to a seated area and quickly briefed her.

After listening patiently to the female officer Dr Leyton followed her team's procedure in cases like this although she had very little hope of her request being acceded to. 'I'd like to talk to him and assess his mental state,' the psychiatrist insisted. 'I don't think telling him lies is the best way forward.'

'Chief Inspector Spikings,' Harry clearly bit out her senior officer's name to get his attention. 'Dr Leyton has some concerns.' Makepeace took some guilty pleasure from her commanding officer's suppressed irritation at dealing with this latest intervention from the Met's medical representative. The Chief Inspector over-ruled the doctor's concerns as he needed to get the hostages out and operational matters took precedence but he could see a lot of form filling on the horizon.

Spikings gave the faux crew the order to get on board and then Harry and Courtney walked onto the tarmac to await Brian McIntyre, who came out of the airport wielding his gun. It was a heavily fraught moment as Courtney wasn't too sure he wouldn't fire.

Brian grabbed his wife and told Makepeace to back off and wouldn't allow her on the plane even though Courtney insisted she come along.

Harry re-joined Spikings and Dr Leyton. 'Shame I was looking forward to a bit of sunshine,' she remarked trying to lighten the atmosphere.

'Dempsey will deal with it,' the Chief Inspector growled and didn't add more as the doctor was present. He didn't add his misgivings on the body count in a confined area from the Yank with his cannon.

The plane took off which wasn't in the main game-plan but was a backup scenario and then it did the usual holding pattern around Heathrow as agreed with air traffic control.

'No silly buggers going on I hope,' Spikings said in an undertone to Makepeace as they stood on the runway watching the aircraft gain altitude.

'Well he does like planes,' Harry responded dryly as they watched anxiously for their colleagues return.


	10. Chapter 10

On board the plane D.C. Fry had been told to serve champagne to the love birds and Dempsey had dumped a mickey in both glasses to try and bring things to a bloodless conclusion. The champagne had been demanded by Courtenay as she felt she needed something.

Unfortunately, Brian was on an adrenaline fuelled high and it would take an elephant gun to take him out not a mild sedative. His wife however was exhausted from the stress of the situation and soon slumped in her chair.

Brian was vociferous when he couldn't get Courtney to wake up and Hargreaves went to the cockpit to fetch the co-pilot who had some medical experience.

Dempsey entered the main cabin and insisted that Courtney be removed from the seat next to Brian and pretended to listen to her heart. 'Very rapid heartbeat,' he concluded in an authoritative tone which was a load of rubbish as the drug would slow that down. 'We need to get your wife to a medical facility; we're going to have to land.'

'We land in Spain,' Brian was not going back to Heathrow and he waved his weapon at Dempsey in a threatening manner.

'Your wife's unconscious,' Dempsey stated. 'You try and rouse her if you don't believe me,' he was totally in the zone when McIntyre came over to shake Courtenay. As the man's attention was then on his wife, he dropped his guard and Dempsey punched him on the jaw and that was that; the guy was out cold. Hargreaves did the honours with the handcuffs once Dempsey had removed and secured the gun.

'Okay, let's go home,' the American went back into the cockpit took over the flight for a few circles around the airport and then handed over to the pilot to land the plane.

Brian McIntyre looked a dejected figure as he descended the steps and was taken into police custody and Courtenay was stretchered off as she was still under the effects of the sedative.

The team met up again at SI10 and Spikings was in a very good mood. 'Well done,' he beamed. 'Not a drop of blood spilt and all the hostages grateful and singing the praises of our wonderful police force. The Home Office are delighted and so are upstairs. The only thorn in the flesh is the psychiatrist report on McIntyre, do what you can there Dempsey, we don't need the paperwork.

'Yes I'm sure Detective Inspector Dempsey can pour oil on troubled waters,' Harry folded her arms across her chest and viewed her ex-partner critically.

'I'll do what I can,' he responded glaring back at her. Women, one bowl of chicken soup and you'd think he'd proposed marriage. If she wasn't interested in him why did she get all fired up cos Suzanne liked him. It was nuts.

-oOo-

Harry's exhaustion was getting problematic and she longed for a decent night's sleep the only problem with that was the only way she'd get it would be if she could sense Dempsey was in near proximity. She'd thought long and hard about this and concluded that annoying though that was; it was the painful truth. Of all the people to fall for she had to pick a practiced womanizer who seemed to attract determined, females effortlessly. Stupidly, she seemed to like bad boys whether they came in Saville Row suits or leather jackets and jeans. 'I'm an idiot,' she muttered under her breath.

'I'm going for a shower,' Dempsey muttered as he'd been working for thirty hours straight. He headed for the male locker room as Harry came back into the office with her cup of black coffee.

What possessed her she never knew but five minutes later Harry found herself in the male locker room and taking her ex-partner's shirt off the hook where he'd left it and quickly departed stuffing the stolen article in her handbag.

The American was fairly vociferous when he found his shirt was gone and asked the guys if anyone had seen it, indifference reigned as none of them had seen it and he got various offers of tee shirts and tanks that the guys kept in their lockers as spares.

Harry was painfully typing something and ignoring the hullabaloo but what she didn't realise was a tiny piece of Dempsey's white shirt was caught around the clasp of her handbag. Nobody noticed this other than James who didn't say anything but the corner of his mouth twitched as he suppressed what would have been a shit eating grin. He sat down at the typewriter and typed out his report in triplicate and tried not to watch as Makepeace left for the evening. He failed and his eyes were glued to her trim figure as she departed.

'Nice arse,' Watson muttered as he gave Chas his expenses and he grinned as Dempsey gave him a homily on sexism in the workforce which they all knew was a load of bullshit as the American was a keen connoisseur of the female form and was gagging to do it with D.I. Makepeace.

-oOo—

Dempsey couldn't contain his curiosity and let himself into Harry's house in the early hours of the morning and opened her bedroom door and there she was all curled up like a sleepy dormouse and she was wearing his shirt. He hadn't the heart to wake her cos she obviously needed the sleep so he closed the door and went to get some shut eye on her sofa. He was exhausted so it wasn't hard to settle down and drift off, needed to wake earlier than her though so as to make the breakfast that he'd brought with him.

-oOo-

Harry woke up feeling refreshed for the first time in weeks, it was so good to get a decent night's sleep she went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth and washed her face; ran a brush through her hair and went down to the kitchen to make a cup of tea.

She got an unpleasant shock when she walked into the kitchen wearing the shirt and nothing else and came smack bang into James Dempsey who looked horribly amused. Oh my God, this was beyond humiliating.

Makepeace tried to quell the full body blush of heat that travelled through her nerve endings but managed to rally with true Winfield grit. 'Fair cop guv, you've got me bang to rights, I haven't slept for what seems like weeks and the best sedative I could think of was sniffing you; reminds me of boring stake-outs or long evenings dealing with paperwork and it worked like a treat.' She took a seat at her kitchen table brazening out the shirt which was thin cotton so Dempsey was probably getting an eyeful, when all she wanted to do was scarper back to the bedroom and put on some clothes.

'Tea and a chocolate pastry,' he landed the plate and mug in front of her and sat back in his chair observing her whilst drinking his coffee. His appreciative gaze ran over the pretty picture she made in his shirt, kind of intimate wearing a guy's shirt specially as he'd worn it for a long shift.

'Pain au chocolat,' she corrected in her usual cool fashion. She sipped her tea trying to regain her composure which drew on all her aristocratic years of breeding. 'What are you doing here anyway? I don't remember inviting you to invade my home.'

'Very good, cool under fire,' he acknowledged as he drank down some of the coffee and picked up a bagel and slathered it in cream cheese. 'I'm a good detective Makepeace; crime to solve, followed my nose.'

'Yes well it is certainly aromatic, but it did the trick I'll send it back to you laundered,' she got up ready to lock herself into the bathroom and then gritted her teeth as he rose and barred the way with one tanned, muscular arm against the door jamb.

'Not so fast sweetheart, you steal a man's shirt that's an offence in my book; if you'd asked I'd've given you all my laundry you could've knocked yourself out.' He tipped up her chin so she had to look at him. 'Missed me then,' his voice was low and deep with that honeyed tone that he knew got to his partner and generally made her soften towards him.

'It's a weakness, I'm fighting it,' she bit out her blue eyes annoyed that he was calling her on her stupidly, embarrassing behaviour.

'I can imagine you feel awkward,' he murmured as he traced the vee of the shirt where it was unbuttoned his fingertips feeding the sting of sexual arousal for them both. 'Cos it seems to me that it's not the shirt you really want.'

'Oh shut up,' she snapped irritably. 'I got a good night's sleep so mission accomplished, I was desperate…

'Yeah well that's cos you're in denial and all that repressed sexual tension is ready to overflow a bit like Vesuvius on a bad day.'

'In your dreams,' she bit out and then blushed because she'd been dreaming about him and it had been pretty steamy stuff.

He leant down and kissed her neck a little sting of a kiss that burnt its way through Harry's nervous system; he felt her shock at the action as she jumped slightly, 'see you in the office,' he drawled and strolled to the door. 'Only have to ask Makepeace, it's your turn.'


	11. Chapter 11

_Thanks for the reviews, I've written most of this story it's just chopping it up into chapters and editing it and that takes time. I'm self-indulgent when I write for myself so I always work over the material before I share it. I hope you enjoy it and will try and get the second part of the visit to Winfield Hall up over the weekend._

Dempsey was on fine form as he swapped banter with the other guys in the office as it would be difficult to dent his spectacularly good mood after the Harry/shirt incident.

Spikings hated Dempsey's noisy exuberance and would have liked to quell it but had to admit the officer was a good copper and therefore should be afforded a modicum of leniency. His gaze moved to Makepeace who seemed brighter than of late, she looked refreshed which was something of a relief; she was occasionally glaring at her ex-partner which suggested that his demeanour wasn't necessarily down to any weak behaviour on her part.

He had a bi-weekly meeting with his three senior officers this afternoon where they summarized their activities; he'd take them to the pub afterwards. As SI10 expanded, the workload increased exponentially and Fry who was now Spikings runner had a difficult time negotiating his passage between the irascible Chief Inspector and his unorthodox team, even Jarvis could be a challenge if he was so minded.

'Nice office,' Dempsey murmured as they entered Spikings newly refurbished lair and admired the make-over, the picture of the wife was a new one and the American smirked.

The Chief Inspector ignored the smirk because he had some sympathy with it. The older man hated family photos on his workspace but Jane had insisted and since she was quite capable of mounting a spot check he'd capitulated. He lit a cigarette and viewed his senior team, 'we'll start with you Harry, how is the Winchester case progressing? I understand you're working with Inspector Parker from Fraud as he's been hanging around here like a bad smell.'

Harry ignored the Parker odour issue and gave a quick synopsis of the case and said they had enough evidence for a review and she'd booked time in the Chief Inspector's diary to do that.

'What about the values audit how are we shaping up with that nonsense from upstairs,' Harry was the Chief's go-to girl for all the politically correct initiatives which the feet on the street treated with derision.

'Damage limitation on the McIntyre case was efficiently dealt with by D.I. Dempsey but I think we'll have to throw them a bone of some sort,' she took the smirk from all three gentlemen in her stride. 'I've agreed that we will take part in a psychological analysis of the team; Belbin is terribly popular at the moment and by using the psychological profiling we will be able to evaluate whether we have the correct mix of personality types which will guide future recruitment.'

'Sounds like a way to recruit more dames or guys in touch with their feminine side,' Dempsey remarked in his usual macho manner.

Spikings took a drag on his cigarette, 'I'm looking forward to what the Belbin, psychological profiling will make of you Dempsey should be an interesting read.'

'I'm a fascinating guy,' the Yank responded with a charming smile.

'Did you find your shirt by the way,' Chas butted in, 'no other pilfering has been reported; I got Fry to check.'

Dempsey looked over at Makepeace who had suddenly dived into her handbag to locate something. 'Yeah, bottom of my locker; tired I guess, missed it completely,' he lied convincingly.

'Good let's move on from Dempsey's inability to dress himself; D.I. Jarvis you have the floor…

-oOo—

A bottle of beer and a packet of dry roasted peanuts arrived in front of Dempsey as he lit a cigar in the pub. 'Thanks,' he looked up his eyes hooded against the smoke. The beneficiary was his own little piece of paradise, D.I. Makepeace.

'I rather think I should thank you,' she responded sitting down fully appreciative of his covering her derriere that afternoon on the issue of the shirt.

'I don't tell anyone about the intimate details of my life,' his eyes smiled into hers, 'always been discrete about the matters of the heart.'

Harry smiled pleasantly as she prepared to make a peace with her ex-partner. 'I'm going down to Winfield Hall this weekend; Freddy has a shoot; large affair. Would you like to come as my plus one?'

Spikings sat down so Dempsey didn't have a chance to respond but he was pleasantly surprised at her asking him. Nice if they could get back to some kind of harmony the last few months had been tough.

He caught Harry up at the bar as she went to get drinks for Spikings and Chas, 'what does being a plus one involve and will I need special clothes to shoot stuff. I'm guessing it's those stupid birds that wander about like God didn't bless them with a brain.'

'Succinctly put,' she placed her order. 'Well you don't usually bother what you wear to shoot stuff although a tuxedo would be out of place and so would a donkey jacket. Any retail outlet selling shotguns would have the usual apparel I would imagine but don't go overboard, get whatever is in your style then you'll get more use out of it.'

'Tuxedo for dinner is my guess,' he followed up, 'or is it a black-tie affair?' He had both so that didn't present any problem, years of being Harry's buddy had meant his wardrobe had expanded somewhat.

'Black tie,' she answered, 'casual for the rest of it as Freddie doesn't stand on ceremony. And plus one means you're my partner for the weekend so to speak.'

'Okay sounds good.' Dempsey's spirits lifted, they used to do this kind of stuff all the time but lately they'd been in a kind of Mexican stand off and that had been hard. 'I'll drive you down there; my car's more comfortable than yours. I like your Pop it'll be nice to see him again.'

'Good well that's a date then,' she smiled enigmatically and returned the drinks to her colleagues.

-oOo—

Jarvis and Dempsey were in the men's locker room changing after a shoot-out that had been unexpected and high on body count; they were decompressing from that by reverting to every day chat about the weekend approaching.

Laura's asked if you'd like to come to dinner, her chief bridesmaid's been lined up to make up the party,' Chas wasn't one to drop his mates into a blind date.

'I can't this weekend going shooting with Lord Winfield,' Dempsey was a bit more open with Jarvis than the other guys in the office.

'You and Harry buried your differences then,' the dour Scot was somewhat intrigued by the ups and downs of the duo's relationship. He liked a quiet life himself so Dempsey and Makepeace were like two members of a different species.

'Not sure,' the American thumbed his nose. 'Harry's a difficult dame to figure, never know what she's really thinking. You think it's going one way and then she changes direction.'

'Got a game-plan then or are you playing it by ear?' Chas picked up his discarded clothes and stuffed them into a holdall.

'Not playing at all, I'm seeing where she goes with it, balls in Harry's court. She's handed out the olive branch so I'm waiting to see what that means exactly.' Dempsey towelled his hair and ran his hands through it.

'Good luck with that then,' Chas didn't seem to think Jim's laissez faire way of approaching the matter was likely to work. Women in his opinion liked a man with clear intent.

'You think I should take charge,' Dempsey considered that. 'Nah, she'd just knock me back if I did,' he was intrigued by that thought though.

'You're both defensive in nature, waiting for the other to give in and make the first move. Three years of, 'will she won't he,' both strong characters may never happen. See you later,' Chas left the room after dropping that pearl of wisdom. It wasn't like him to say much or interfere but he agreed with the guvnor that the two of them seemed determined to misunderstood each other.

James had to admit that Chas had a point, he'd told her he wanted her but hadn't said more than that. She'd kind of admitted she felt the same but was fighting it. Then she'd got all wound up about Suzanne whom he'd just been civil too when it came down to it. Did she still see him as some kind of womanizer with a commitment phobia cos that wasn't true? He'd been committed to Makepeace for longer than he cared to admit. He decided he'd better give some thought to the weekend as he might have to do better than see how it went.

-oOo-

Hargreaves eyes narrowed when she wormed the weekend plans out of her friend D.I. Makepeace, 'I need a plus one because there are a number of gentleman who will relentlessly pester me if I don't have a man in tow.'

'So you chose Dempsey as body armour,' a derisive snort followed that remark. 'So you'd rather be relentlessly pestered by Jim then.' Joyce as usual didn't pull her punches. 'Strange choice but then who understands the mystery of biological attraction.'

'James won't pester me,' Harry responded and tried for conviction. 'We've been friends for years and he hasn't crossed the line on previous occasions.' Her skin coloured slightly when she remembered a couple of occasions that couldn't strictly be called platonic.

Another derisive snort came her way, 'you've simulated love making which crossed the line, he's a man isn't he? You're either deluding yourself or even worse you want him to make a move, God help you.'

'Thank you for that Sergeant Hargreaves,' Harry responded icily pulling on her D.I. persona.

'You're welcome Ma'am,' Joyce responded sounding amused at Makepeace's way of shutting her up. 'If you'll excuse me I have a bet to place.'

Harry's outraged expression made her laugh out loud and she relented and made them both a cup of tea.

-oOo—

The conversation was somewhat stilted as the couple made their way to Winfield Hall as both occupants were busy working out where they were versus the weekend.

Harry kept stealing glances at Dempsey and her blood heated at the sure way he handled the car, James had an innate kind of confidence that had always impressed her. She liked his hands and the way the skin was paler at his wrist where the watchstrap had deflected the sun. Her gaze dropped to his thighs and she swallowed hard and yanked her eyes back to studying the scenery rather than drop to his groin which she'd grazed over a couple of times.

Luckily for Makepeace, Dempsey was oblivious to her fascination with his masculinity as he was thinking about what Chas had said and debating whether or not to put the moves on Harry in a subtle fashion, nothing too obvious but enough to encourage her to get closer. He decided to get some coffee as he'd been driving for a while and pulled into a cutesy, rural village, coffee shop and looked at Harry who seemed to be staring at his dick. He had a horrible feeling his flies were undone until he distinctly remembered zipping up after his last visit to the john.

Harry quickly unbuckled and grabbed her bag and scrambled out of the car hoping her ex-partner hadn't noticed her eyes had zeroed onto his masculinity. Oh no, he was grinning like a bloody monkey, he'd noticed all right.

'Told you denial made it worse,' he opened the door of the café for her and let her go ahead of him. 'You'd be better off dealing with it honey, when you get round to sleeping in a guy's used shirt you've got it bad.'

'I have no idea what you're talking about Dempsey, I thought we'd dealt with the shirt incident,' she ordered tea and he chose black coffee and an iced doughnut.

'Kind of intimate surrounding yourself with my scent, wrapping me metaphorically around your body; I mean come on Harry, who does that?'

'Me apparently,' she acknowledged wryly as she sat down at the table. 'I'd take it as a kindness if you'd shut up about it.'

'Well, I think we should explore it further and I guess you do too since I caught you staring at the crown jewels,' he gave a warm laugh as her tea went down the wrong way and he handed her a napkin.

'Thank you,' Harry was icily polite. She'd began to realise that her denial was making her look like an idiot and betraying her into behaviour that was really not Harriet Makepeace.'

'So does this plus one thing mean I get to kiss you or do I just accept the fact you're physically fascinated with me and you don't want to act on it.' He bit into his doughnut and regarded her with some amusement as she struggled to maintain her composure.

'The plus one thing is to deflect the admiration of some of the gentleman, and I use the term loosely, who will be attending the shoot.' She stirred her tea for something to do.

'Guess we need to be convincing then,' he offered her a bite of his doughnut and wasn't surprised when she shook her head. 'Although in your current state, of shall we say appreciation for yours truly, you could end up giving everyone an intimate glimpse of the bedroom.'

'I most certainly would not,' Harry hotly denied that accusation. 'And anyway what would you suggest, I suppose you think we should 'do it' until the fascination wears off.'

Dempsey leant forward and gently ran his finger around the curve of her jaw, 'you're wrong.' He felt a stirring of sexual interest as her blue eyes darkened at his touch.

'Why,' she asked crossly moving her jaw away from the disturbing caress. It was annoying that the slightest gesture from him sent her up in flames.

'Cos I don't think it would wear off, we'd just become more comfortable with it.' He drank down the coffee. 'Denial just makes it all hotter,' he got up and paid the bill leaving Harry to think about it. The prospects for making out seemed to be good as far as he was concerned as Makepeace was in trouble and she knew it.

Dempsey was right, Harry did know it and she was debating what to do about it. Should she give it a chance or should she shamelessly flirt with someone else to show him just how wrong he was. Then she remembered the way Dempsey had looked at Fry and a shiver went down her spine.

Harry tensed as his hand rested on her lower spine as they went back to the car and she gasped somewhat as he pressed her back against the vehicle. 'What are you doing?'

'Kissing you,' he dropped his head and grazed her soft mouth with his. 'Nice don't you think?' It was a tease and he knew it.' He was a bit annoyed when she slapped him and he looked down into her disturbed blue gaze.

'I'm sorry,' she looked appalled at what she'd done. 'James, have some patience with me. I'm finding this difficult.'

'It ain't difficult Harry, it's just a kiss,' he dropped his mouth again and coaxed her into it. This time her lips trembled and softly parted and he deepened the kiss until he knew everything about her sweet mouth. He pulled her lithe body against his and just indulged in having Harry in his arms and his hands caressed the soft curves of her body. God, he'd wanted to touch her for so long.

Harry broke the kiss to get some air and then moaned as he kissed her neck. 'Dempsey stop it, we're in the middle of the car park in broad daylight,' her eyes closed with the pleasure he was bestowing, she was drowning and the only thing to hold onto was him.

The American pulled himself together and opened the car door and coaxed her into it and strode around the other side and got in. 'That was some kiss, Makepeace.'

Harry didn't answer. What could she say, it had been a fantastic kiss and she hadn't wanted it to stop. In fact, she just wanted to go somewhere and indulge in the sensations that kiss had elicited. Whatever this feeling was she had for Dempsey it was extremely strong and had a powerful hold on her. And she'd stupidly invited him for the whole weekend and he'd have the room that adjoined hers! 'This is a mistake we should cancel the weekend,' she looked at her hands willing him to agree with her.

'No, we're not doing that,' he started up the engine annoyed that she kept backing out of the inevitable. 'I've bought a jacket for the shooting and I'm not missing out on that cos you're running scared.'

'I-am-not-scared,' she rounded on him furiously her anger exacerbated by the fact he was right and she was in denial. 'I'm just annoyed at myself for having some kind of fascination with a womanising lout.'

'Thank you,' he said dryly. 'Nice to know you have such a high opinion of me, I'll try not to take up too much of your time this weekend.' He squared his jaw and drove the rest of the way in silence.

-oOo—


	12. Chapter 12

Harry found herself walking down the staircase alone as Dempsey had vacated his room and there was no answer when she knocked on the adjoining door. She made her way to the terrace where they were to have pre-dinner drinks. Her red dress looked rather more low cut than she remembered and it reminded her of the time she'd changed into Angela's dress at Stringfellows. It was silly really as the dress wasn't the same style at all as it had thin spaghetti straps and a red beaded bodice which finished under her breasts and it showed plenty of cleavage.

She took a glass of champagne from the waiter and spied her father and moved to his side to welcome the guests.

'You look lovely darling, red suits you.' Her father's blue eyes twinkled as he could see Harry's American thought so too. Dempsey joined them as Freddie beckoned him over. 'Nice to see you James, no murders to investigate this time I hope.'

'There's probably a flock of birds out there that'd disagree with you sir,' James responded with dry humour.

'Well to be honest James, most of the guests couldn't hit a barn door at ten paces so I think the casualties will be low. Harry's a dab hand though and I'll assume your aim is pretty good so you two will have to make a competition out of it.' He beamed at them both. 'I hope so anyway as pheasant is on the menu tomorrow night. The cook however is another matter as he is rather temperamental but I'm hoping Giovanni will keep a lid on that this evening.' Freddie added in his usual amiable manner.

'The chef Freddie, Mr. Petorelli does not like to be addressed as the cook,' Harry sipped her champagne and her eyes met Dempsey's. Oh, dear he was still mad at her and that wasn't difficult to read.

Lord Winfield spied the growing number of guests approaching the door and smiled at his daughter and offered her his arm. 'Right, here they come Harry, we must welcome our guests.'

Dempsey withdrew and watched Harry play lady of the manor, and it made him realise how far apart their upbringing had been. When they were at work they were equals, here he was definitely not in her league; here she was the princess in her castle and he was the lout, a scurvy knave. Maybe that's why she was fighting the attraction so hard; he didn't belong in her world or if he did he only belonged to the work part of it. That thought made him feel uncomfortable and he took a slug of the whisky he'd asked for.

Harry joined him forty minutes later, 'I think they're all here now except for a couple of latecomers and Freddie can handle them.'

'I'm okay you're the hostess, you go do your thing,' he took out a cigar and headed to the gardens to smoke it. It was a warm evening and the smell of wood smoke and the scent of roses perfumed the air.

His ex-partner followed him as she didn't take rejection very well. 'You're supposed to be my escort this evening James, so that means we stay together.'

'You invited me and that was a mistake so let's rectify it, you go mingle with your friends and I'm sure I'll be okay; promise not to pinch the silver.' His dark eyes were hard on hers as he laid it on the line.

'This is ridiculous,' she fired up. 'We're supposed to be trying to find some harmony this weekend and you're just being…

'I'm being what? A lout, oh yeah sorry a womanising lout, thanks for that Makepeace well I can see why that wouldn't fit into your aristocratic little world so I'm alleviating you of the embarrassment.'

'I-am-not-a-snob,' she enunciated word by word her temper well and truly ignited. 'You're the most annoying man I've ever met.'

'Got that, well then off you go,' he gave her a mock smile and then dragged on his cigar idly speculating on the level of fury his former partner was experiencing. Nice flash of sapphire blue eyes, aristocratic nostrils flaring and chin raised, DEFCON 1. He was therefore surprised when she dragged his head down for a blistering kiss and quickly flicked the cigar into the damp flowerbed.

As they were in full view of the main reception room a number of people were witness to the fact that Lady Harriet had kissed the mouth off her American plus one. When she let go of him her face was heated with a torment of emotion.

James caught her arms and ran his hands up and down them soothingly. 'Calm down Harry, it's okay. I made you mad, nice way of changing the subject.'

She took a couple of deep breaths to steady her overwrought emotions and looked up at him. 'I apologise, I seem to be behaving rather idiotically of late. I suppose I've convinced them you're my partner for the evening though so mission accomplished.'

'You did,' he confirmed with a warm smile and put his arm out for her to link with and they went into dinner.

Lord Winfield who'd spied shamelessly on the whole interchange was feeling rather pleased; the American certainly brought Harry back to life; put some colour in her cheeks. He was hopeful, yes cautiously optimistic, that kiss had looked promising.

-oOo—

When the dancing started after dinner Dempsey could see why Harry needed air-cover, a couple of the guys were obviously trying to fix their interest with her and she had that polite look she got on her when Fry or any of the other cops tried to ask her out.

One guy was being particularly persistent and was going for an ass grab, Dempsey grabbed the guy's wrist before his palm settled on Harry's derriere. 'Hands off the merchandise buster, I'm cutting in.'

'Merchandise?' Harry queried as James took her in his arms as the dance was a slow one. 'As far as I'm aware I'm not up for sale.'

'Well if you were that guy couldn't afford it,' James rested his jaw on her hair. 'It's a pretty dress,' he lifted his head and took in the cleavage displayed. 'You don't usually…

'It's a bit… I'd forgotten… Harry's cheeks heated as Dempsey surveyed the dress that had looked perfectly respectable when she'd taken it out of the armoire.

'Kind of low cut for you, you don't usually show a lot of skin, I'm not complaining; makes me feel territorial though so maybe I won't let you out of my sight.'

'I didn't think you were the possessive type,' Harry looked up at him and then caught her breath at the very masculine appraisal from her former partner. 'James,' she met his gaze and a shiver of awareness ran through her slim frame.

'I'm not,' he drawled. 'With you it's different though and those guys ain't getting their hands on you angel; you're off limits.' He ran his hand over the silk covering her spine and then up to explore the skin revealed by the low back until his thumb brushed the back of her neck. She'd been sensitive there when he'd used his mouth on her.

'Don't,' she protested, she was very aware that the guests could get a glimpse of the bedroom if he caressed her in public.

'It's hardly X-rated sweetheart,' his mouth brushed her temple, 'thought you wanted me to show ownership.' Harry was usually cool under fire and he'd played this game with her on undercover operations and she'd been okay with it.

'It's different now,' she hardly knew what she was saying as the slow rhythmic stroking of her skin was driving her crazy. 'We've been…

'Intimate,' he brushed his mouth over her ear, 'taken it further than this,' his teeth teased her lobe and he felt the shiver of excitement go through her slim body. 'Did you touch yourself when you wore my shirt,' his mouth feathered her temple.

'I always thought you'd excel at talking dirty Dempsey,' her blue eyes had the light of battle in them as she pulled bits of herself back together.

'I ain't even started,' his warm gaze teased her, 'and you didn't answer the question. Thinking about that's been driving me crazy.' Her mouth fascinated him and he brushed it with his own.

'I was exhausted it was more a sedative than an act of self-gratification, are you trying to seduce me on the dancefloor James?'

'Yes, is it working,' he smiled at her, 'cos if it is I suggest we go someplace more private,' he moved her out of the way of one of the more ambitious couples.

'Can I cut in,' one of Harry's would be swains came up to them assuming the American would move aside.

'No chance,' Dempsey wasn't polite about it. He wasn't letting Harry dance with anyone other than her Pop.

'That was very rude,' Harry rested her head on his shoulder, 'but then I've noticed that you ignore the conventions of polite behaviour when it suits you.'

'I ain't polite in bed,' he teased her, 'I bet you are though, thought about how you'd be a little bit,' she was blushing; he liked that.

'Don't go any further,' she eyed him stormily. It was obvious he was trying to unsettle her and he was doing a very good job of it.

'Getting to you is it,' he liked challenging her they'd always had a competitive relationship. 'Must be annoying that a womanising lout gets you all hot and bothered and none of these blue-blooded guys do it for ya.'

'Cutting in James,' Freddie took his daughter off the American as he could see she was furious, 'I thought you were going to hit James so I thought I'd intervene.'

'He is the most annoying man I've ever met,' she seethed. 'And you're right it was a close-run thing, thank you Freddy.'

-oOo—

Harry reached the sanctuary of her room and leant back against the door closing her eyes and then she heard the door between her room and James' open and then close; her eyes blinked open and she saw his shirt on the floor.

Her temper exploded and she stormed over and yanked open the door and viewed her half-dressed ex-partner as he kicked off his shoes totally unfazed by Harry's appearance. 'Thought I'd save you the trouble, you look cute in my shirts; put it on.'

'You've been an aggravating swine all night,' she raged at him throwing his shirt back at him her hands on her hips and her chin raised in a determined fashion. Subliminally though her hormones were dancing at the sight of his half naked body, the expanse of warm skin begging for her touch.

'Decided you'd rather have the real thing,' he asked acknowledging he was aggravating the hell out of her. 'You're in my bedroom must want something,' he walked slowly towards her and tipped up her chin. 'C'mon Harry, show me what you've got,' he caught her hand as she tried to slap him and kissed her manacled wrist. His hand went into her hair and he pulled her towards him his mouth searing hers.

Harry was conflicted; she wanted his mouth on hers as much as she'd like to punch him in the teeth. James had been winding her up all evening but when he touched her she just wanted more.

Dempsey had been teasing her but when she responded like she did his mood changed from anger, at her earlier verbal abuse, to coaxing her into the passion they shared. He lifted her a couple of inches off the floor and walked her to the bed without breaking the kiss.

Harry shivered with shock as her back hit the cool, silk counterpane of the bed and she panted for breath as he kissed her neck. 'James, what are we doing?'

'We're making out,' he lifted his head and looked down at her his dark eyes dancing from her eyes to her lips and then grazing over her cleavage. 'What did you think we were doing? Anyway, let's keep doing it cos if we talk this'll go all to hell.'

'I don't indulge in casual sex,' she put her fingers against his mouth as he moved to kiss her again.

He kissed her fingers and her palm his tongue tasting her there and then moving to her wrist, 'it ain't casual; nothing about this is casual, princess.' His voice had deepened and he acknowledged that he could be heading for another night of frustration if he couldn't turn this around.

'Well what is it then?' Harry liked to know what she was getting into,' she got her hand back and pushed at his shoulder.

Dempsey rolled onto his side and viewed her stormily, why did she have to make things so difficult. I mean it wasn't like he hadn't put in the time. 'What do you want it to be, let's go there because it should get us wherever we need to be faster.'

'I don't know that's the point,' she adjusted the spaghetti string straps on her dress as they'd slipped down her arms. Dempsey had always been a challenge from their very first assignment, she'd fought to be acknowledged as his equal and that had often pushed her to her limits. And now he was offering her a different challenge with a set of rules she didn't perfectly understand and she wasn't at all sure that she could compete.

'What, you don't know if you could be in a relationship with me, is that what you're saying?' He was glowering at her now which wasn't very lover like.

'Yes, I suppose so. I mean we're colleagues and friends or we were friends before all of this,' she pulled her knees up and hugged them.

He raised up on his arm to mirror her position and keep in physical contact cos Harry thinking too much wasn't gonna get them anywhere. 'I always wanted you angel, so it wasn't just friends, and you want me; I think we've established that,' he ran his fingertips over her cleavage and saw her breath catch. 'I want you to belong to me, I want you to be my girl. And for your information I am not a womaniser; I like women and they like me but it's you I'm stuck on and there's nothing going on with Suzanne.'

'You're stuck on me,' she searched his gaze, 'I just thought you wanted to get your leg over,' she saw his eyebrows raise at that and his mouth twitched with humour.

'That's a nice expression Harry, bet you didn't pick that up at your public, private school,' he traced the beading on her dress which could technically be called copping a feel. 'I want you sweetheart and if I'd just wanted that I would have picked a female where there was more chance of achieving my objective. I want you so much it's driving me crazy are we done talking yet, princess.'

Harry hadn't finished she was still upset about her attempt at rapprochement. 'You shut me out and when I tried to talk to you, you just used sex to shut me up, you were really horrible to me.' She had felt hurt when he'd ignored her and all her grievances were coming to the surface as she felt emotionally volatile.

'Well I'm sorry about that but I thought you were rejecting me cos I don't belong in this setup,' he indicated the room. 'I knew you wanted me, your body talks to me even when you don't,' he ran a strand of her hair through his fingers in an attempt to soothe her.

'Suzanne kept turning up,' she protested, 'I went to your apartment twice when you were injured and she was there both times, you have to admit that looked off.' Harry had been convinced he was still playing the field when Dr Leyton regularly visited.

'She likes me so if it was just sex I'd be in bed with her but it's not and I haven't,' he kissed her jaw and coaxed her into relaxing the legs she was hugging until she was lying beside him and then he hung over her. 'So c'mon angel, what's it gonna be,' he tenderly stroked back an errant strand of her hair and his voice tone became honeyed and persuasive, 'are you gonna be my girl or do we go back to being a couple of cops.' His heart was hammering as he awaited her answer; Harry had become everything he wanted in a woman so this was crunch time.

'Is that an ultimatum James?' Harry didn't like it when he ignored her, she was used to his focussed attention. She needed him in a physical sense too and his proximity, the warmth of his skin, was making her bones melt with longing.

'Yeah, let's call it that, you can't have my undivided attention if I don't have yours, is that clear enough for you.' His dark gaze searched hers and he could see that she was emotionally disturbed; her breathing was erratic; her eyes were dark with need and her mouth was quivering. Even with Harry he was certain that he couldn't misread those signs.

'Crystal clear,' she looked somewhat uncertain but she held his gaze as his mouth came down on hers and then her eyes closed, her arms wound around his neck and she sank deeper into the kiss.


	13. Chapter 13

_Well you wouldn't expect the course of true love to run smoothly now would you. So, the next part of the story deals with that._

Joyce observed both Jim and Harry when they arrived back in the office on Monday morning, Harry was early as usual and Jim scraped in just in time as he took his responsibilities as a D.I. seriously and bawled out anyone that came in later than him.

Harry was quiet, Jim was loud and that told its own story, she could only hope her friend hadn't given in to the Neanderthal's demands but she didn't have much faith in that outcome.

'Good weekend,' she asked brightly as she sat next to Harry, 'bag many birds.' Her cat like eyes observed her friend and the blonde officer looked a little self-conscious.

'Yes, I did rather well actually which was just as well because the majority of the guests were terrible shots.' She knew what Joyce wanted to ask and wasn't forthcoming.

'And your personal minder?' Joyce asked tongue in cheek as the younger woman met her gaze somewhat defensively.

'Was a suitable deterrent,' Harry responded in an even tone as she accepted a cup of coffee off Fry. Harry had quickly come to appreciate that James could drag his knuckles along the floor if any chap attempted to flirt with her.

'Successful weekend then,' Hargreaves summarised and then caught a glimpse of a tiny bruise on the back of Harry's neck. 'You might want to wear your hair down,' she said in an undertone that sent the D.I. to the safety of the female locker room.

Harry got out her handbag mirror and looked at it to see her mirror image in the locker-room, 'damn it,' she swore under her breath. She found a scarf in her locker and put that around her neck, the last thing she wanted was gossip about who'd been nibbling at her.

Dempsey popped his head around the door after briefly knocking, 'what's up? You shot out of the office like you were on fire?'

'Nothing, it doesn't matter,' she responded in her usual cool tone. She'd berate him later about the bruise but not whilst in the office. She didn't know when later would be. What was the protocol after a weekend of rampant sex?'

'Nice new Italian opened, I'll take you there tonight,' he smiled at her in a pleased way. 'Can't have you saying I never took you to dinner.'

'You're spoiling me,' she remarked sarcastically as she pushed past him. 'It's the ladies' locker room; you're not supposed to be in it.'

'There's only you and Joyce who use it,' he growled as he walked with her back to the office, 'used to be just you. You could share ours nobody would mind.'

'Joyce and I would mind, the male toilets are hideous and there's always a smell of deep heat and body odour, I'm sure there's a ten-year-old pair of socks trapped somewhere in the ventilation system.'

'Just the one pair huh,' they entered the office together indulging in their usual banter.

It felt normal Harry thought she'd expected it would be different and everyone would know. She was glad it was normal but the elephant in the room was that it wasn't really normal as they had done it and now technically she was his girlfriend although they wouldn't be telling anyone that.

'Hi James,' Suzanne Leyton had arrived to do the Belbin tests on the team so that was nice.

Dempsey could tell Harry was made up about it even though it was her fault as she'd offered them up for the analysis. They all dutifully filled in the forms and handed them in. He gave his to the doc and smiled at her. 'What happens next?'

'Well you can buy me a cup of coffee and I'll tell you,' Suzanne flirted with the detective shamelessly.

'Careful Dr Leyton, he has a terrible reputation with the ladies,' Watson remarked as he gave her his form. 'I'll buy you a coffee if you like.'

'Well that would be rude as I've already asked James, why don't you come too?' Suzanne had her sights firmly set on the American officer but she wasn't impervious to the Sergeant's charm.

'Not into threesomes,' Watson retorted and left 'James' to the lady. Dempsey was a bit of a legend when it came to women and most of the guys acknowledged that, attributing it to the American accent which seemed to be like catnip to the fairer sex.

'If Jim's buying I'll tag along,' Hargreaves responded just to get up Dempsey's nose, 'how about you Harry?'

'Why not,' Harry responded and they all walked down to the canteen. She didn't appreciate Dr Leyton annexing Dempsey so she was happy to run interference.

Dempsey didn't particularly like being the tea boy as they all left him to it and sat down chatting away as he queued for what seemed like a year. Spikings turned up at his elbow and ordered being too exalted to get his own coffee. When he saw Watson and Chas approaching he told them less than tactfully what they could do with their order.

Harry rescued him coming over to collect some of the beverages. 'Thought I'd give you a hand we're all dying of thirst,' her eyes twinkled with humour.

'Oh, well I'm sorry about that I've enjoyed every minute of waiting in the queue while you dames sat around chatting. What's wrong with the service here, I mean the foods not that complicated. Pasties, a slice of pizza or a cheese scone or whatever you call it, I mean it ain't difficult.'

'Suzanne's keen she's been asking us where we go on our time off, I'm expecting the Ambercote Arms to be her local.' Harry wasn't beyond needling her former partner as he seemed to effortlessly collect female admirers.

Dempsey looked annoyed because he knew the psychiatrist was a sore point with her. 'Don't start, I can't help it if I'm charming, British guys are so backward I'm surprised you've still got a population, they don't know how to talk to women.'

'Well we've got you to show us the way,' Harry punched him on the arm in a joking fashion.

He got the bill and moaned about that, 'I didn't say I was buying the whole department coffee,' he growled.

'I'll pay you back for mine and Joyce's,' Harry responded pleasantly knowing he was in a bad mood with the slow service in the canteen and being railroaded by Suzanne. 'Biscuits,' she said tongue in cheek and waited for the explosion.

-oOo-

Later that evening James and Harry were seated in the new Italian restaurant Dempsey had discovered and Harry made an attempt to clarify the terms of their relationship. She twirled her linguine expertly around her fork and looked over at her partner. 'I don't believe in spending every hour in each other's pockets. I do have a life and it's a matter of fitting things in. Freddie's various charities take up a fair amount of my free time and what with friends, the gym and various sports depending on the season…

Dempsey gave her one of those looks as he could see where she was going with this. 'You know what it is Harry, you're relationship phobic. You set these little fences around life; it ain't healthy. Life should be spontaneous; I'm not being fitted in around a pedicure and bow and arrow practice.'

'Archery, it's called archery. You could try it and then we could practice together; two birds with one stone,' she murmured wishing she had never started this conversation as she could see he was picking up the ball and running with it.

She was right Dempsey was on a roll and his resentment at Harry's tentative way of approaching their relationship reared its ugly head. 'You're still trying to run off; you get me to admit to caring about you by making me jump through more hoops than a Sea World dolphin and now when I do admit it you're trying to put me in a box marked boyfriend, Wednesday's.'

Dempsey had a way of reading her that was disconcerting. Harry was very defensive about relationships since the debacle of her ill-fated marriage and she hadn't really taken romance seriously since. She was attractive so she was never short of a date and James had taken up the slack by being a fanciable friend.

Her dinner companion hadn't finished. 'I've seen the way you've starved all your relationships of oxygen until they've withered and died; was happy to lend you a hand by yanking you out of your so-called dates for work but that ain't how it's gonna be with us.'

'I see,' Harry was rather annoyed at his analysis though being a fair person she could see how he'd come to that conclusion. 'So how is it going to be with us; I expect you're going to tell me since you try and dominate everything we do.'

'The way we do it is we assume that out spare time will be spent together and then we fit stuff in around that so the opposite of what you were saying. We come first.'

'You mean you do,' Harry took a sip of her wine. 'You always think that after putting your well-practiced moves on some hapless female that she'll then run after you until you get bored and give her the 'it's not you it's me,' line or I'm the job, I don't have time for commitment.'

He wasn't being Harry's hapless guy running around grateful for crumbs; that needed nipping in the bud straight off. 'It's taken us three years of bumping heads to get here Harry and we ain't going backwards; I spend half my time at yours anyway and I ain't being scheduled.'

'I see,' she rested her chin on steepled fingers and looked at him like he was some strange specimen on a slide, 'I keep asking myself why, but unfortunately no rationale answer is forthcoming.' Her blue eyes ran over him critically.

'That's cos what we got ain't rationale. If you think I wanted some toffee-nosed dame whose as warm as an ice shower when she don't get her way, then you're nuts. I'm stuck with you and vice versa so suck it up Makepeace and throw away your little schedule cos I ain't going in it.'

'Duly noted,' the ice shower responded as she gave up on the meal, declined dessert and went straight to coffee whilst watching him devour a large helping of tiramisu.

He offered her a spoonful and she shook her head. 'I'll try the archery,' he glanced over at her. He'd drawn the line in the sand over how they were going to be and offered a concession as an olive branch. 'You can teach me since you're such a hot shot with the bow and arrow, didn't you win a cup or something.'

'Yes, I'm reasonably good at it,' she murmured. 'I'd be delighted to teach you if you'd listen to word I said that is, because that would be unusual.'

He smiled at her engagingly. 'I promise to be an attentive pupil and I do listen to what you say angel, I just don't always agree with it. Two strong characters there's bound to be some healthy friction.'

'Hmm,' Makepeace was non-committal because she knew what James was like and he had something of a my way or the highway approach to life and it took emotional dynamite to make him deviate.

'Your place or my place,' his warm gaze met hers and he patted himself on the back for not allowing their discussion to get in the way of his favourite part of the evening.

'Mine,' she folded her napkin and watched him as he signalled the waiter for the bill. It's like some kind of bewitchment she decided; if she'd drawn up her list of desired characteristics in a male Dempsey would be unlikely to meet the requirement but somehow she found him endlessly fascinating. Unbelievable really. A thrill of excitement ran through her about the night to follow and she felt helpless to resist the charm he held for her.


	14. Chapter 14

Today was the review of the Winchester case Harry had been working on and Inspector Rory Parker from Fraud was due. Since Rory Parker saw himself as a hotshot his presence irritated the SI10 team as they had their own hotshot and a second was surplus to requirements.

Spikings gazed balefully out of his office and lit a cigarette and brought his attention back to the Yank D.I. 'As grateful as I am to have someone of Detective Inspector Makepeace's calibre in the team it's bloody annoying that most male coppers' feel it necessary to litter my office languishing after her. I mean D.I. Parker must have reviewed progress bi-weekly what's wrong with using the phone.'

'Yeah the guy's annoying,' Dempsey drank down the coffee like he hated it. 'I mean Harry's great but she kind of stands out from the crowd. When the two of us worked as a team we were kind of noticeable, the Yank with the classy bird. I mean undercover you're supposed to be invisible, I was good at that. Difficult to make Makepeace invisible though boss.'

'Very, well they're reviewing the case with me this afternoon and I'm keen to agree the action plan and get Parker's backside out of here.' Both men glowered as Fraud's hotshot appeared looking all smart and pressed and the pungent cologne wafted through SI10's offices.

'She's not dating him is she,' Spikings looked alarmed at the thought and secretly took pleasure from yanking Dempsey's chain.

The Yank glowered and shrugged, 'don't thinks so, well she's never said nothing but then she don't talk about that stuff much. Occasionally, there's a Julian or a Basil but she don't date cops.'

'Hmm well the Met's buzzing with Rogering Rory's charm offensive and bets are being taken about him taking the citadel that is D.I. Makepeace, I would be very annoyed if that happened; Bunny Schofield would just love that.'

'Bunny, is that like Mad Gordon,' Dempsey asked tongue in cheek, 'is he Fraud's chief? 'Why'd you have nicknames anyway? Is it like some kind of code?' Dempsey was getting his own back as he was well aware the boss had been sticking it to him about Harry dating another guy cos he knew that yours truly had a thing for her unrequited or not as the case may be.

'Never you mind. If you ever reach the higher ranks then all will be revealed, how are you getting on with your caseload I assume you're not in here to take the weight off and drink coffee.'

'No, I need authorisation to requisition a couple of RPG's and a helicopter, terrorist cell; going up against the big boys. Kilhane's leading it, told you about it last week.'

Spikings scratched his head and grumbled about budgets and overheads before signing it off. 'For that kind of money I want a result with a headline in every red top, you understand me detective.'

'Yeah, you want some kind of show pony and I'm trying to catch bad guys. I know it's all about the budget yada yada, I'll see what I can do.'

'If you would be so kind,' Spikings was his usual sarcastic self. 'What is that overpowering stench,' he grumbled irritably.

'Blue Stratos, he's an up-market kind of guy,' Dempsey grinned. 'Maybe he wants to anaesthetise Makepeace so she'll fall into his arms,' he walked out and headed for the Fraud D.I.

'Yo Parker, we're gonna start cross charging your team for rent, twice this week ain't it; half a day each time that's a whole day we can bill back. Spikings has budget issues; it could help.'

'He wouldn't have budget issues if you didn't run a demolition derby every time you requisition a car,' Rory retorted. 'You're a legend Dempsey.'

'D.I. Parker, perhaps you'd like to step into my office,' Makepeace tried to head off this particular confrontation at the pass.

Dempsey went into Harry's office and opened a window, 'don't want you and Joyce being overwhelmed by Parker's pheromones, he's turning me on and I don't swing that way.' He eyeballed Rory and the challenge was unmistakeable.

'Right well thank you D.I. Dempsey, I can take it from here,' Harry was getting annoyed now but the SI10 chaps weren't exactly welcoming to other teams and she could sense the wave of approval at Dempsey's banter from the heads down, earwigging team.

'Hope Spikings approves your action plan Harry, Winchester case has been on the books for a while; bit of a sitter as they say. Best of luck,' he added in a patronising fashion.

Hargreaves arrived with the coffee's, 'excuse me sir,' she said to the American detective as she moved around him. 'Oh good, the windows open; breath of fresh air, very welcome,' she handed out the coffees and her cat like eyes met Jim's, 'are you staying D.I. Dempsey as I haven't brought you a beverage.'

'Nope, leave you girls to it, got more important fish to fry; later Parker,' he left the room with his usual arrogant swagger.

'Right,' Harry said brightly, 'let's get on shall we.' She was used to the macho posturing of the male coppers so she took that in her stride, no point in reacting to that kind of nonsense. She summarised the salient points they were to put to Spikings and their recommendation for a number of arrests with supporting evidence for the Crown Prosecution Service. 'I think that's all pretty comprehensive, we'll see Spikings after lunch.'

'Lunch is my treat as SI10 are helping my division out on this case,' Parker offered.

Both females bristled at being Fraud's little helpers and Harry eyed Rory coolly. 'I think you'll find this is SI10's collar D.I. Parker as Chief Inspector Spikings doesn't really allow the team to help out unless he has full responsibility for the cases we take.'

'Well that's all semantics, we're one force when it comes down to it; my treat anyway. Sergeant Hargreaves can photocopy the case notes whilst we discuss tactics over lunch.'

Hargreaves would frankly rather photocopy the Encyclopaedia Britannica than have lunch with the pompous idiot and excused herself from the meeting. Harry and Rory departed to the pub as Makepeace was always polite.

'So you don't get wined and dined then Joyce,' Dempsey watched Hargreaves as she tackled the temperamental photocopier.

'I'm not the object of Rogering Rory's affections,' the Sergeant responded. 'Naturally I'm disappointed at that but someone has to tackle this beast,' she groaned as the paper got stuck.

Dempsey pulled out the screwed-up paper and then hit the machine in a targeted spot and it continued. 'Nothing to it, still time for you to get a dried-up pasty in the canteen if you're lucky.'

'Thanks,' she answered in a wry tone as she got on with the presentation packs. 'It should be the last we see of D.I. Parker until the trial that is. I imagine he'll ask Harry for a date; love to be a fly on that wall.'

'Harry's a past master at depressing the pretensions of male coppers; she gets practice every Thursday in the bar.' He decided to pop over to the pub for a swift one and occupied his usual place at the bar, he looked around and saw Harry had that patient look on her face as she listened to Parker's wooing, 'probably getting the line about dating cops,' he murmured under his breath.

Harry excused herself from Parkers romantic endeavours and joined Dempsey at the bar, 'if you've any generosity in your heart you'll join us; I'm going to have to be bloody rude; the man has the hide of a rhinoceros.'

'Never thought you'd have problems brushing off a guy, you were pretty damned hot at it as I remember,' he picked up his beer and headed for the table Harry was sharing with Parker as Harry popped to the ladies.

'Bugger off Dempsey, I want Harry all to myself and nobody invited you to lunch,' Parker wasn't having the Yank screw up his charm offensive.

Dempsey took a mouthful of beer and his hard gaze pinned the other officer to the seat, 'I'm SI10, Harry's SI10 and this is our local and nobody tells me where to sit; you got that meathead.'

'Hi,' Harry sat down on a stool next to Dempsey, 'how are things, Kilhane seems pleased I talked to him in the canteen this morning.'

'Ah well don't want to jinx it so we'll see,' he looked at his watch. 'Your meeting with Spikings is in half an hour shouldn't you be getting back,' he smiled in an aggravating fashion at Rogering Rory as Harry rose from her seat. 'Catch you later, Makepeace.'

-oOo—

Harry was drinking a glass of wine and contemplating the fact that she was actually spending the early part of the evening on her own whilst James was going to some kind of SI10 event that was only for the 'bloke,' contingent. He would pick up with her later. As a point of order they weren't old marrieds so in her estimation he should either have a pass for the evening or have arranged something with her, she quibbled at being something to be enjoyed later.

A persistent knock at her door surprised her as one, Dempsey had a key and two, it wasn't his E.T.A., she put down her wine and answered the door and was surprised to find Rory Parker on her doorstep. She looked at him questioningly as she hadn't given out her address on the Met information board so what on earth was he doing here?

'Hello D.I. Parker has there been some development in the Winchester case?' That was the only reason she could think he'd be at her address.

He smiled with a male confidence that really irritated the blonde detective. 'I used all my investigative skills Harry and found your address,' he lifted up the bottle of champagne he was carrying which was the best supermarket variety and a bunch of tired looking flowers. 'I thought I'd surprise you as the Yank interrupted our lunch date.'

A deep breath was taken as Makepeace wasn't one to deal with these situations without a great deal of patience, hence three years of fending off the said Yank. 'D.I. Parker, the lunch was a business lunch not a date and I don't date fellow coppers, it's difficult enough making your way as a female officer without all the innuendo and locker room chat that would ensue so I'm afraid your journey has been wasted.'

The smug smiled infuriated her. 'Well we can be discrete sweet pea, no need to broadcast anything to our fellow officers,' he moved to push past her and enter the house.

Harry put her arm across the door, 'I don't know how to be more direct about this Parker but no thank you,' she responded in a cool aristocratic tone and then was totally shocked as she was swept into his arms and kissed passionately. Her response was to knee him where it hurts most and she winced as she took in his physical distress. 'Automatic reaction, I'm afraid,' she regretted her actions but really enough was enough.

'You bitch. You lead a man on and then when he gets hot for you, you knock him back, you haven't heard the last of this,' he snarled as he headed back to his car.

Harry soothed her lip, she'd spent years fighting off this kind of assumption that she should be grateful for some male lusting over her and it really annoyed her. Admittedly it was nice to be attractive but that didn't mean a man had the right to her affections just because he fancied her.

She went to her bathroom to take a shower and wash Parker's touch off her and then noticed her lip had split due to the hard pressure of his mouth when he'd grabbed her and kissed her. Her lower lip was noticeably swollen. 'Bloody man,' she swore vehemently.

Harry was in her pyjamas when Dempsey showed up around 10 p.m. she was watching the television without really watching it.

'Hey babe,' he smiled at her and then noticing her injured mouth he frowned, 'what happened,' he sat down beside her.

Harry sighed and ran a hand through her hair. 'Parker arrived on my doorstep with a bunch of wilted flowers and some supermarket fizz and seemed to think I should be his reward. I said no, he grabbed me hence my bruised lip and I had to knee him in the 'crown jewels', to use your terminology, to get him off me. Apparently, he thinks I led him on and he told me that I hadn't heard the last of the issue.' Dempsey took it well, Harry noted as his face darkened ominously and his jaw squared. Jaw action was a sure indication of her ex-partner's mood.

He gave her a swift glance and got up and paced the floor for a minute. 'Okay, how do we play this? You want me to warn him off, cos if I do he's gonna say I got an interest not that I care about that.'

Harry folded her arms across her chest defensively, 'Parker is very egotistical and I get the feeling he'll do anything he can to get back at me. Normally I wouldn't ask you to intervene as it goes against the grain but I think in this instance….

Dempsey gave her a knowing look, 'you want me to let my inner thug out is that what you're saying? Makepeace you're a piece of work you know that.' He sat down beside her and tipped up her chin with his forefinger, 'he's bust your lip; must hurt.' His warm gaze swept over her. 'It's okay angel you can leave it to me.' He kissed her nose in a patronising fashion, 'must've killed you to ask.'

'Oh shut up Dempsey, the man just doesn't take no for an answer he makes your romantic efforts seem like irritating buzzing in the background. Look don't bother I'll sort it out myself.' She got up and made for the bedroom slamming the door to indicate lack of interest in any physical bonding.

'Time of the month,' James said under his breath and decided he wasn't going to get into a fight with her but he was too tired to go back to his place so he went to the spare room and bunked down there. He reflected on Parker's approach, guy like that had to have some kind of reputation in the Met and he'd sniff that out. It wasn't like Harry to ask for his support on an issue like this in fact normally she wouldn't so the guy must've rattled her.

The door opened and Harry stood in the doorway. 'I don't want to fight,' her blue eyes were vulnerable as she looked at him.

'Me neither,' he pushed back the duvet inviting her in and gave a sigh of satisfaction as she joined him. He pulled her to him and stroked her hair. 'It's okay Harry, I'll deal with it. I'd've never pushed you into anything; you know that,' his dark gaze was heavy on hers. 'The Lupino thing….

'Shush,' she put her finger against his lips. 'We've been through that James and it doesn't need revisiting. Please be subtle; I don't want you doing any kind of, 'hands off my woman,' thing that would get around the Met like wildfire.'

He kissed her temple and then her jawline, 'I know that babe, I'll be subtle. Guy like that's bound to have a reputation let me see what I can find. There's more than one way to skin a cat.'

'Hmm, James Dempsey and subtlety are not two things I'd normally put together,' she responded wryly.

'Yeah well, I'm a complex character maybe you ain't seen that,' he kissed her gently his tongue probing her sore lip. 'Nobody puts a finger on you Harry, nobody treats you bad; not on my watch.'

Very macho stuff the blonde detective acknowledged but such a total turn on, her mouth caressed his, 'James,' she whispered.

When Harry said his name in that breathy kind of tone it sent shivers up his spine and an urgent message to his dick, she was so hot. His fingertips traced down the line from under her breasts to her abs and he felt her tremble as her muscles contracted. 'Hell of a reaction, princess,' he growled in her ear as he teased the lobe.

'You have no idea,' her hips rose and and she gave a soft moan as his skilled touch dipped lower and grazed her thighs. Dempsey certainly knew his way around the female body that thought floated away as the intense pleasure replaced thinking and she cried out his name as she came.


	15. Chapter 15

Chas was the 'go to' guy for digging the dirt on Parker because although he wasn't a gossip he was well tuned into the Met's dirty laundry. People discussed stuff with Jarvis because they knew he wouldn't repeat what they'd said which was an invaluable quality but on occasion if he thought it necessary he would discretely provide a steer on certain issues.

'Rogering Rory made a move on Makepeace and you know the D.I. normally she'd deal with that stuff herself but it must have been heavier than the normal pass cos she's a past expert at deflecting those; I'm a veteran of a three-year trench warfare so I should know.' Dempsey put the paper down he'd been perusing, 'Harry asked for my help which ain't normal, what do you know or what can you dig up on D.I. Parker, behaviour like that ain't a one off.'

Chas thought about it and nodded. 'I heard he's had a warning for being too pushy with one of the police constable trainees, said it was all a bit of fun and blamed the girl for being a tease, usual stuff. He was married but that fell apart couldn't keep it in his pants allegedly, so he's got a bit of form. Harry's hurt her lip, that down to him?' Jarvis's face darkened as Dempsey nodded.

'Do you want me along,' Chas knew Dempsey would scare the shit out of the guy if his interrogation style was anything to go by.

'I'd appreciate that,' the American answered, 'both of us go it's about protecting a colleague; if I go it'll be assumed I'm defending my turf and D.I. Makepeace would be highly critical of that as she don't like people thinking she's the Yank's moll, if you get my drift.'

'Understood,' Chas grunted. 'Could take Watson along? He's got an A+ in intimidation, Spikings gets nearly as many complaints about him as he does about you.'

'Why not,' Dempsey grinned. 'Scare the shit out of the guy and protect the princess,' he laughed and then shrugged. 'If Bunny hears about it though Mad Gordon will rip us a new one.'

Chas nodded but didn't look particularly put off as they were all used to the Chief Inspector's irascible temper and knew behind all that the guvnor was loyal to his team and he'd take a dim view of anyone hurting Makepeace.

In fact, the Chief Inspector had Harry in his office that morning after he'd seen the injury. 'I wasn't aware you were on any operation where physical damage would occur D.I. Makepeace and I don't think that's a paper cut from hanging over company accounts.'

'No sir, I'm not,' she looked awkward and then decided to come out with it. 'D.I. Parker discovered my address and turned up at my home yesterday evening, in short he wouldn't take no for an answer and I was forced to physically protect myself.'

Spikings eyebrows rose and he glowered fiercely. 'Yes I could see he was being somewhat persistent in his attentions, go and get the injury photographed Harry and I'll deal with it. Someone here must have given him your address it's not common knowledge and that kind of leak is concerning.'

'Very,' Harry agreed feeling uncomfortable disclosing the information to her senior officer and it showed.

'And call off your pet gorilla, we don't need Dempsey beating his chest and making an inter-departmental incident out of this; behaviour like that needs nipping in the bud and it's better to do it in the proper way. And don't worry from what I've heard Parker's already used the usual defence of being led on by the victim, some young copper I understand. You'll need to fill in a few forms and then leave it to me.'

'Thank you sir,' Makepeace walked out of the office feeling very out of sorts and then headed to the canteen to get a coffee.

Hargreaves spied her and came over and gave a moue of sympathy at the injury. 'What happened, I didn't think Dempsey had an overbite,' she quipped her gaze steady on her friends.

'Inspector Parker turned up at my home, I had to knee him where it hurts to depress his amorous intentions. Spikings is going to handle it, I suppose that's the best way but I hate having my name bandied about. It's difficult being a female copper and being a female officer isn't easy either.'

'Hmm… Well, I'm not one to listen to gossip but I think some of the chaps may be going to defend SI10's honour so to speak; you might want to have a word if Spikings is going to formally report the issue.'

Harry nodded and made a mental note to tell James to stand down but then the assault diminished in importance as the Yank started 'world war 3' that day,' Spikings terminology, with a renegade cell of the I.R.A.

-oOo—

'The Home Office are calling the army in,' Spikings ran a hand over the short bristles of his hair. 'Gatwick's been sealed off and Dempsey's been given authority to take out the plane the terrorists' have acquired, should they attempt to take off, with the R.P.G.'s which incidentally are on my budget. I'm going over there now, you're in charge here D.I. Makepeace.'

Harry hoped to heaven that the army would turn up sharpish and that James wouldn't exercise his natural inclinations to deploy the hardware because if he did they'd all be filling out forms if they wanted to use so much as a paper clip.

'D.I. Dempsey let loose with a chopper and two R.P.G.'s,' Watson gave a hearty laugh, 'I'm not even going to open a book on whether he'll deploy.'

'Well if he does then don't bother submitting expenses in this financial year,' Harry gave a grimace of a smile and crossed everything that the opportunity wouldn't arise and that Spikings would get there quickly.

'Pyramid selling scam,' Hargreaves handed over a file, 'religious group we're sending Fry in to join them; I just hope he doesn't get brainwashed whilst undercover.

'He'll be fine,' Makepeace responded on automatic as her mind was focussed on the reports coming in from Gatwick. The terrorists had apparently taken to moving the plane around the airport to cause as much disruption as possible and get the maximum press coverage.

Meanwhile over at the airport Dempsey was debating whether to take out the tyres on the plane so they could lay siege to it as currently they couldn't do that as it was on the move.

'I mean they could stay in there for a week or so, the menu might get a bit boring after a while but they've got enough food for hundred and fifty people. If we take out the wheels they can be isolated to a single location and the rest of the airport could get on with business.

Kilhane thought about it. 'I don't think we could take out the tyres with a handgun or a rifle shot, I mean they must be tougher than car tyres.'

'Yeah, alternatively we could put some of those refuelling vehicles or baggage trucks around them to make them stay put.' Dempsey went to the guy who was their liaison officer at the airport and suggested a 'surround' tactic.

Harry watched the newsfeed as the plane was rapidly encircled by airport vehicles heading towards it at speed. 'That's a relief they can't take off now without hitting something.'

Hargreaves came over and nodded. 'It looks like a siege situation which is the best that could be hoped for; at least they can't take off and Dempsey won't get the opportunity to play with his toys.'

Spikings arrived at the airport and looked at the Yank with some level of approval, 'sensible move D.I. Dempsey you never fail to surprise me. We can leave it to the army if they ever manage to turn up. I'll take over the negotiation in the meantime and you close in on the rest of the cell; Harry will help you with the manpower for the arrests. You need to strike now before they all decide to leg it.'

'Sure boss, what about the hardware do we sign it over to the military? Cos I don't like to leave it in long term parking,' Dempsey lit a cigar and tried to quell a smile.

'No you don't bloody hand it over to them; arrange for it to be taken back to safe storage and get a credit against my budget because if you don't we'll be bringing in the sports section to wipe our arses.'

'Got it covered boss,' Dempsey still hadn't perfected addressing Spikings as sir and it was doubtful at this late date in their relationship he ever would. 'I think this gig'll be in the redtops though so you got that chief.'

'Yes and hundreds of unhappy holidaymakers will probably be vociferous about hanging around in long term parking while it's raining cats and dogs. Fights have broken out as the bus shelters aren't big enough to accommodate them. Several legions of wooden-tops have had to be deployed to maintain the peace.'

'Hey the bad guys started it,' the Yank growled and then his attention was grabbed by the hemmed in plane revving up its engines. 'Crap, they're going for it, are the army guys here boss?'

'No,' Spikings got on the blower and had a rapid conversation. 'I'll give them a warning, if they should ignore the warning get ready to take the plane out. Try and avoid the fuel tanks and the engines, a nice big hole mid-section is what we're going for.'

Dempsey looked at Spikings like he was deranged, 'I'll try my best,' he growled. I mean it wasn't as if he'd had precision, target practice with the R.P.G.s.

Meanwhile, Harry and Joyce were busy deploying teams to make the arrests of the terrorists that weren't on the plane whilst keeping a weather eye on the newsfeed.

A cheer went up from the chaps in the office which made Harry rush back to the screen. 'Oh my God,' she saw the plane was now in two parts and that a number of emergency vehicles were rapidly making their way to the damaged aircraft.

SI10 went in and then the paramedics as they took out the injured and unconscious terrorists and turned all the planes damaged systems off.

'Good shot,' Watson grinned, 'I bet Spikings was bricking it,' he picked up his jacket and got the necessary papers from Makepeace for his part in the arrests. 'You got to give it to Dempsey, he's the man!'

'How do you know it wasn't Kilhane, he was leading on this,' Harry pointed out fairly although she didn't for one-minute think that would be the case.

'No way, Dempsey got to be,' Watson echoed her thoughts. 'See you later when we've got the rest of that garbage banged up.

Spikings was very measured when he was interviewed by the on-site reporters, stating that the Metropolitan Police and his division SI10 would not allow terrorists to thrive in the city or elsewhere and that the damage to the plane was justified as the armed forces were not in place at the time to take the necessary action. He regretted that hundreds of people had been kept waiting in the pouring rain and hoped the rest of their holiday would be passed in a peaceful and pleasant manner.

Dempsey joined Spikings in the airport restaurant and got a beer, 'they've got the engineers in to make sure the plane is safe and then they'll start moving it off. They can salvage the engines and other stuff so it ain't a total loss and I had two RPG's only used one of them, nice, clean shot don't you think.'

'Oh yes, well we'll only have to bring in the sports section every other week. Hopefully I can expense the R.P.G. back to Her Majesty's Armed Forces,' he looked quite smug. 'Home office are pleased and it looks like a couple of the terrorists will be in good enough shape to interrogate. Harry's bringing in the rest, so we'll have our hands full.'

'Looking forward to it,' Dempsey's jaw squared as he thought of the damage that could be done by terrorists with a plane in their hands.

'Good job D.I. Dempsey, feathers in caps all round, I believe the army have arrived let's go and say hello.' Spikings loved getting one over on other parts of Her Majesty's services and certainly didn't like doing the ground work for other divisions glory boys so the fact the army hadn't turned up until the end wasn't exactly bad news in his book.


	16. Chapter 16

Dempsey and Kilhane entered the SI10 offices to a massive cheer from the team as everyone was in to help with the collar.

'Nice shot Jim,' Chas slapped him on the back, 'buy you a pint later.'

'What do you mean nice shot, I missed. I was aiming for the cockpit,' he laughed with pure masculine pleasure at sticking it to the bad guys.

'Did you have any training on how to fire an R.P.G.,' Hargreaves asked as she was curious as to how the D.I. had got authorisation to use the weapon.

'No, I just thought how hard can it be?' Dempsey shrugged and then saw her horrified expression. 'Course I had training, you think they'd let me take charge of a weapon like that; Kilhane's been trained too, we got skills here people.'

Harry handed James a cup of coffee. 'Spikings is already on the phone negotiating our budget and it sounds like it's being drummed up from other teams in the Met which is going to make SI10 popular.'

'Hey, we just took down a major terrorist cell, Kilhane's lucky to be alive; going undercover with those animals ain't easy, they should be pleased to give us their budget.'

'Well I don't think he's going around with his hat asking for change,' she gave a small smile, 'whose idea was it to circle the plane with vehicles.'

'Mine why? To be honest I didn't think they'd try to drive right through them; you'd have to be crazy to try that,' he drank some of the coffee. 'Still got the chopper, fancy a trip to your pop's? Plenty of room to land there.'

Harry looked at him with that patient expression he hated. 'I think the last thing you need at the moment is the label of maverick, oh and that brings to mind another issue. Can I have a word?'

'You can have a whole dictionary, you're looking particularly hot today Detective Inspector,' he followed her to her office.

'It's about D.I. Parker,' she saw his face darken and held up her hand before he could speak. 'Spikings asked me about the injury and I told him what happened and he's handling it officially so I don't want you to get involved.'

'Duly noted,' he agreed easily without having the slightest intention of doing as she asked. There was no way Parker was hitting on Harry like that; what did she take him for?' He ignored some of the kisses he'd put on the D.I. without her permission in the past cos they'd kind of been necessary for the undercover work or that was his excuse anyway.

'Dempsey I mean it,' he'd given in far too easily and he always did that when he was going to do the opposite; like the time she'd called him in on the Giardino case and he'd acquiesced and then gone his own way. 'I don't need any more notoriety, I'm not happy about making things official but I could hardly say no to the Chief Inspector. And if you do intervene it could affect the case as they may allege that I put it around within SI10.'

'Hey, you're entitled to have a relationship Harry,' he got up and came and sat on her desk. 'Okay, I can see where you're going with this but it ain't over, it's gonna be a late night are you going to the pub later on.'

'Yes of course, it was a good collar everyone will be over there, it would look odd if I didn't,' she put her head to one side and looked up at him. 'It was a fantastic shot James, were you nervous?'

'Bit tense; didn't care about the combatants particularly, good riddance in my book but I had Spikings budget and insurance rattling around my brain. In the end, I just thought screw it and just went for it.'

'You certainly did,' she smiled at him and laughed. 'It's on the news, Chas has taken a video of it.' Harry being an alpha female and excelling at everything she did very much admired excellence in others. For the past three years, she'd tried to show Dempsey she was as good as him and it was at times like this she realised why she was so strongly attracted to him.

His warm gaze met hers and he got the idea that his actions had got Harry all hot for him which wasn't a bad thing. 'You can show me your appreciation later but right now I've got to check on the arrests and make sure we've got all of them.'

'Yes of course,' she watched him walk out and her hormones did a happy dance; well every now and again it was just nice to be a female and enjoy the fact. And her partner in crime could certainly help with that.

-oOoo—

'Where've you been,' Dempsey made a space for Harry near the bar and shielded her from the crush with his larger frame.

'Well I couldn't get near you because of your fan club; I had to practically fight my way to the bar,' she smoothed back a wing of her hair. 'I can see quite a few of your former dates in here and there's Suzanne, a would-be date.'

'If you'd been nicer to me earlier there wouldn't've been former dates; you just ruthlessly rejected me so I found consolation elsewhere.' He drank some of the beer and dragged on his cigar and looked down at her his gaze wandering over her beautiful face and then lower to the curve of her breasts. 'Nice blouse, get you out of it in seconds,' his dark eyes met hers and he smiled as her skin heated. 'I can see the idea appeals to you, which is nice.'

'I thought we agreed that we would follow a certain protocol in this kind of situation,' her blue eyes chastised him but she wasn't really annoyed and he knew it.

'I flirt, I always flirt so that ain't different from before and I ain't talking to the other girls' cos you get funny about it. You always did come to think about it.' She was used to his attention and when another female came into the territory Harry turned on the frost.

'Don't flatter yourself Dempsey, I used to feel sorry for them,' Harry picked up a drink from the bar. 'You were always very charming to the females concerned but you were like Teflon as far as commitment went. Any attempts at moving forward in the relationship just slid right off.'

'That's cos I was into you,' he smiled at her as if to say touché. 'Well maybe not for the first-year cos you were just a hot, pain in the ass. But then I got to know you better and I liked you as well as the hotness. If you ever wanted to dress up in Sharon's little bar outfit again though… I mean national hero; should mean something.'

'Queen and country,' Harry murmured her blue eyes mocked him in the usual fashion as in her opinion she didn't need to do anything other than turn up and be willing to engage to get James hot under the collar.

'Yeah that kind of thing,' he laughed at her expression. 'I'd be fine with it,' he took the roll of her eyes as read but wondered if she'd still got it or that hooker outfit that was good too. Although at the time he'd just been mad at her for blowing his cover so it was probably not wise mentioning that at this delicate stage of their relationship.

Harry gave him a deliberately sensual look and licked her bottom lip as if to recover an errant drop of her drink.

His eyes darkened and then his stupid brain took in her amused expression, 'do you know what; you're still a pain in the ass.' She was always playing that one-upmanship, you're more into me than I am into you, game and he'd show her what she got for that later.

'I've no idea what you're talking about,' she brushed against his lower body with her derriere as she moved to put her glass back on the bar.

'Let's not get X-rated here,' the American growled as his body reacted in response, 'cos your little protocol is likely to go right out the window.'

Spikings came over and took one of Dempsey's beers and Chas came up on his shoulder and Jim offered a drink to the D.I. to make a point to the boss. The Chief Inspector had grown up in the school of hard knocks so the Yank's point was lost on him or water off a duck's back.

'The Home Office have agreed to fund our expenses on the last caper so that's something of a relief. I hate wrestling with the budgets as it is so yes Dempsey I am the unsung hero here so thanks for the pint.'

'You're welcome,' the Yank responded sarcastically and then he tensed, he'd seen Bunny Schofield enter the bar with a number of his officers and Parker was one of them. 'You got to be kidding me.'

'Leave it to me Detective Inspector,' Spikings strode off in Bunny's direction as D.C. Fry who'd had a few pushed Parker on the shoulder in an aggressive fashion.

Harry groaned and grabbed Dempsey's arm. 'Don't you dare get involved in this,' she hissed.

Hargreaves rushed over as half the bar started a John Wayne, western style fight, she distracted Harry which left Dempsey unleashed and he went in to get Parker off Fry.

'Harry you should leave,' she grabbed her friends arm and pulled her outside of the pub. 'I can't believe Schofield brought them in here, what was he thinking?' Joyce brushed down her jacket and picked a piece of glass off Harry's.

'Maybe the paperwork hasn't got that far, look I need to go back in there and get Dempsey…

'I'll go,' Joyce went back in and found Dempsey who had a choke hold on Parker, 'D.I. Dempsey, you're wanted outside,' she shook his arm to get his attention and he dropped the other guy who was purple in the face.

Schofield had got his other officers back together and they were leaving and Parker joined them after muttering some curses at the Yank. Tables were righted and any glass brushed up and Fry had an ice pack on his eye as did Morrison.

'Chief Inspector Schofield and I will settle the bill George,' Spikings reassured the publican whom he knew well.

'Ask your officers to keep it down I've got my license to think of and the neighbours can get funny about this kind of thing not to mention the brewery.'

'Understood,' Spikings looked over at Fry and shook his head. 'Young hothead,' he growled and then spied Harry re-entering the pub. 'Are you all right D.I. Makepeace?'

'I'm fine sir,' she looked over at her ex-partner who appeared unfazed by the whole thing. 'I left with Sergeant Hargreaves as Chief Inspector Schofield's team came in.'

'Ye-es, well we might have to do some horse trading which I strongly suspect was the aim of Fraud's visit, although Chief Inspector Schofield says that he hasn't received the documentation reference your injury, Harry. I understand team loyalty and that goes for both divisions. We'll see. Fry and Morrison go and have your injuries photographed by medical first thing tomorrow.'

Suzanne Leyton strolled over and joined them. 'I saw a flash go off and I just happened to have a camera in my bag so I took some photographs of the incident just in case the photographic evidence might be biased. I'm happy to hand it over if you would like to get it developed, I have a few holiday snaps on the film so I'd like to get those back.'

Spikings was aware that Fry had been taunted into the first punch and that Fry had been outraged that anyone would hurt D.I. Makepeace or Helen of Troy as he was now mentally calling her. Dempsey had only entered the fray when Fry had been overpowered by Parker and was getting a hammering that exceeded any crime he'd committed. I mean a push to the shoulder was hardly the same as several blows in the face. Parker's purple face in Dempsey's choke hold was something the Chief Inspector pushed to back memory and he hoped any film taken had been in black and white rather than colour.

—oOo-

Harry was very quiet on the way home and Dempsey guessed she was in a snit about something. He thought through the incident. Fry had been an idiot and started the whole thing but it was hardly brutal behaviour; a bit of an annoyance admittedly but he wouldn't have hammered some rookie for that. It would be great if Suzanne had got Parker doing that on film rather than him pulling Parker off Fry and then ramming him up against the wall. Knowing his luck, he'd be featuring largely since Suzanne had a thing for him, so Parker's turkey face could be front and centre.

'I can't help thinking men are very stupid at times,' Harry broke the silence. 'I mean why would Chief Inspector Schofield bring his men to SI10's local other than to cause a brawl. Nobody goes into another division's local without being invited it's like an unwritten law.'

'Maybe Parker recommended it cos he'd been romancing you in the Ambercote; probably had some attraction for him.' Dempsey could give the needle as well as receive it. 'I mean if you'd avoided him like Joyce did you'd have saved yourself a whole lot of grief. I mean even Spikings gets tetchy over the number of officers we get hanging round the place cos they think they've got a chance with you. I mean you're so nice to them; make them so welcome they never want to leave; the place gets overcrowded.

'I'm civil to colleagues and that's all, you're acting as if I'm some kind of flirt which I'm not,' Harry fired back. 'You're just jealous and possessive and if I so much as smile at some other man you behave like a Neanderthal.'

'Oh really, well what about you and chicken soup, Suzanne? You got in a mood about that and had me down as a womanizing lout. So, if we're talking about jealousy you ain't got no room to talk.'

'Well it's just a bit much that the case with Parker may get dropped because of my male colleagues getting into a fight with the officers from Fraud. He'll probably try it on with some other woman who isn't so good at self-defence and it will be my fault.'

'The way I'm hearing it, it's my fault or maybe my powers of observation aren't as sharp as they might be.' He responded sarcastically as he pulled into her drive. 'Don't bother saying you're not inviting me in; I already got the message loud and clear.'

'I'll see you in the morning,' Harry responded icily, 'goodnight.'

'Yeah goodnight,' he drove back to his place. Earlier she'd been all invitation and then cos Schofield's team make trouble all of a sudden yours truly is some kind of pariah. I mean Parker was still alive and kicking although he was expecting to see him in one of those surgical collars if Fraud wanted to milk it. Maybe they should play snap and make sure Fry looked bad on the other hand the kid probably didn't need the window dressing.


	17. Chapter 17

_Since you've all been so great and showed you're still interested in the story I'll ignore the troll and keep on writing. Hope you enjoy the next couple of chapters. This story is in two parts and we're reasonably near the end of part 1. Special thanks to Castlefan who has been a constant reviewer._

Hargreaves spent the necessary time in Accident and Emergency with Fry as he was currently under her wing. Broken nose so plenty of strips of plaster over that; two black eyes that were so swollen she was surprised he could see anything and a fractured jaw. Very bad bruising to the ribcage and a suspected fracture so his ribs had been strapped. Parker was a nasty piece of work there was no need to do that to a young lad who'd had a few too many and was protecting a female officer.

Joyce checked she had all the injuries noted and she had the Detective Constable's bruising photographed. He was given a sick note so she'd be one officer down for a while which she could ill afford and it might be a good few weeks by the look of it. She dropped Fry off at his mothers' and carried on back to the office with the evidence.

Harry had the notes on Morrison's injuries which were not too severe; Watson, Dempsey and Jarvis were bruise free, Watson and Dempsey because they were hard bastards and Jarvis because he'd spent his time trying to calm things down.

As expected Mad Gordon got a call from Bunny asking for a meet which they scheduled for the next day as Spikings wanted to get Dr Leyton's photographs developed to see what they were in for. He was in a very bad mood because he'd wanted to bathe in the success of the IRA operation and here he was dealing with internal issues which could have been avoided if his officers' machismo would take a day off or a vacation as the Yank would say.

He beckoned Hargreaves into his office, 'how is D.C. Fry, he looked badly mauled last night?'

'Oh he'll be all right, but he'll need a few weeks off work the doctor's signed him off. He has a broken nose, fractured jaw, and a suspected fractured rib,' she handed over the photographs and her notes. 'Nothing that can't be fixed but Parker made a real mess of him.'

'Looks nasty,' Spikings face grew dark with anger. 'The lad was a fool but there was no need for that.'

Dempsey came in with Suzanne Leyton's prints, and there were a couple of shots of Parker attacking Fry and one of Dempsey pulling Parker off and restraining him.

'Not too bad,' Dempsey growled, 'bet Fraud's got my bad side though.'

Spikings lit up a cigarette and motioned the Yank to a chair and handed him the photographs of Fry.

'Kid's not going to win any beauty pageants for a while,' Dempsey drawled. 'Nasty piece of work Parker, hitting the kid like that.'

'D.I. Makepeace is concerned we'll be forced to drop the assault charge against Parker to atone for the brawl which was undoubtedly started by Fry. And although she would like to help Fry, she is afraid that Parker may push his attentions on another female and the results could be more serious. His attack on Fry, shows he's a violent man so I can well understand her point.'

'I think we can all understand Makepeace's point chief; next move's Schofield's so let's see what he comes up with.' Dempsey watched Harry dealing with the paperwork from her team's arrests yesterday and keeping her head down. She obviously realised he was staring at her and she briefly glanced his way and then away again. Harry ain't coming out to play was the message and he'd got it loud and clear. He wasn't entirely sure how this had become his fault other than him not being too gentle with Parker after he'd assaulted his girl and smashed Fry's face in; he wasn't the bad guy here.

Hargreaves had bought a card and was doing the rounds for a basket of fruit for Fry, Harry wrote a nice message and gave generously. 'Are you all right Harry, you seem a bit quiet.'

'Yes, I'm fine. Just getting on with the multiple arrests yesterday and making sure we don't get caught out on the paperwork.' She sighed and then confided in her friend, 'I'm in a bit of a quandary really if Schofield wants to offset last night against Parker's behaviour with me I'm not sure I could agree to it. I don't want to be disloyal but I feel like I'd be letting some other woman down.' She knew Dempsey and the boys would be critical of her behaviour if push came to shove and her assault case became the bargaining card.

'I wouldn't pre-judge,' Joyce offered wisely. 'Chief Inspector Spikings is a fair man and I'd hope for a better outcome than that.'

Harry nodded seeing the sense in that. 'You're right I'm getting ahead of myself let's see how it goes.'

An hour later a mug of coffee got placed on her desk and Dempsey's boots appeared, 'what's up? You look like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Fry'll live and Parker's at work today acting the big man but none of the Fraud guys are buying it. Info brought to you straight off the Jarvis hotline.

'I just feel like last night put me in a difficult situation and we still don't know who gave Parker my address, it all makes me feel rather unsettled.' Harry's blue eyes searched Dempsey's for understanding and his answering gaze was warm yet determined.

'You got to roll with the punches sweetheart, do what you think is right. C'mon I'll buy you lunch; you'll feel better if you eat something.'

-oOo-

Dempsey took Harry, to a little brasserie they frequented as a treat. It was a place that meant something to both of them through their long, stormy courtship.

'Why did you bring me here,' she asked her blue gaze curious on his. 'This is where we usually go to celebrate a collar or some milestone that we both acknowledge but will never talk about.'

'Yeah well you looked like you needed it and my celebration didn't go that well so maybe we both need it.' He looked at the menu and decided today he'd try something different. 'What do you recommend and don't pick anything too virtuous cos I don't do bean salads or tofu.'

Harry laughed. 'Dempsey we've had hundreds of meals together, I think I know the kind of dish you prefer and I'd say the venison.'

Okay well for you I'm gonna suggest steak cos I think you need something a bit more substantial than a green salad.' He shut the menu, 'you can have it with a green salad,' he smiled at her amused at the slow nod of her head.

'You may be right.' She ordered for both of them and asked the waiter to suggest a wine, which she approved in her usual charming and polite manner.

Dempsey's gaze ran over his companion and he smiled at her. 'I miss the old stake-outs and working undercover together, you get a lot of responsibility being an Inspector over here and by responsibility, I mean paperwork and budgets, staff appraisals to be honest it was good to be off that for a while.'

'You did that in the U.S. then, I thought paperwork didn't exist over there or if it did someone else did it for you.'

'Nope same old, same old,' Dempsey tried the wine as they automatically brought it to him which Harry noted but couldn't be bothered to comment on.

'I'm sorry I over-reacted last night,' Harry bit the bullet. 'It wasn't your fault that Fraud came to the pub and neither did you start the fight. Poor Fry, he's in a sorry state.'

'Yeah well you weren't too wrong; my natural instinct was to wipe the floor with Parker but I guessed they'd come to start something and I wasn't gonna give them the satisfaction.' He picked up a bread stick and crunched it. 'I might have restrained him a bit too enthusiastically but since he's in work this morning I can't see that he can plead a major injury.'

Harry's gaze ran over James taking in his dark hair which was unusually tamed and his smarter clothes, he was wearing the linen jacket she liked with his sleeves rolled up. He had nice wrists and nice hands, she'd probably mentioned that they were something she admired. 'Have you got a date tonight you're looking smarter than usual?'

'I don't know detective, you tell me.' He sipped the wine and his warm gaze flirted with hers and he saw the colour warm her cheeks; she looked better more vibrant than this morning when she was going through the documentation.

'I don't know either,' she responded in like tone. 'Do you have a girlfriend Detective Inspector, perhaps you should ask her.'

'Well you got me there, sometimes I have a girlfriend and sometimes I'm not sure if I do or I don't.' He leant forward and ran his hand over hers, 'you my girl Harry?'

She would have answered but their meals came and the waiter hung over them offering various condiments and the moment passed.

They ate companionably both refusing dessert as they had to get back to work and settled for a coffee.

Harry felt a lot better and didn't feel as worried about Spikings visit with Schofield as heretofore. When they finished coffee, Dempsey paid the bill and then guided her out of the restaurant with his hand low on her back but keeping it respectable.

He opened the car door for her which was new for them so she guessed it was one of his dating moves. When he got in his side he looked at her, 'are we okay, you didn't answer my question earlier.'

'Do you want to do something this evening,' she asked in a casual way, 'I'm free if you are.'

'Yes I would like to do something this evening, your place or my place; where we starting from.'

'Mine,' she decided. 'If that's okay with you,' her gaze flashed to his profile but he wasn't giving anything away.

'Fine,' was the only response as he changed gear which didn't really give her any indication as to whether he was happy about it or not.

Harry decided to leave it at that at least they weren't arguing; they'd agreed to meet up and he'd obviously made an effort to be nice to her so things looked more positive than negative. She felt happy being in the car with him and didn't really want their lunchbreak to end.

Dempsey was pleased they were in a better place and wanted to reassure her that things were gonna be okay. 'Whatever happens this afternoon Harry, we're all in SI10 and we'll deal with this together you're not on your own; you got that.'

'Yes thank you James,' she responded in a cool tone; typical he was just buttering her up in the event of inter-departmental horse trading. 'I'm not dropping the case against Parker so thank you for lunch but that's not up for discussion.'

Dempsey gave her a furious glance as he parked the car, got out and left her to follow him. He hadn't meant she should drop the damned case why did she always assume the worst?

Since Harry had a duplicate set of keys she locked the vehicle and walked back into the office the hour of relaxation was well and truly over. Had she misjudged him, why had she fired off at him like that; she was on a hair trigger lately, what was wrong with her?


	18. Chapter 18

Spikings met his old mukka Bunny Schofield in a pub by the river, Bunny had a pint ready for him with a whisky chaser.

He waited for Spikings to sit down and then immediately engaged. 'I'll come straight to the point Gordon, I didn't know about D.I. Makepeace's complaint about Parker, and it was Parker's suggestion we went to the Ambercote Arms. I thought it would be fine as your girl had been working on the case with the lad, thought he might be sweet on her because she's a very attractive young lady.'

'Yes, it's not easy being a copper and being as you say an attractive young lady. D.I. Makepeace is a highly efficient officer and she'll go far in the force. Your lad, Parker has got a bit of form with the ladies the way I hear it and the way he went for young Fry last night was a bit over and above wouldn't you say?' Spikings drank some of the beer and left the ball in Bunny's court.'

'I've had words with Parker on the issue and I don't mind telling you Gordon, I wasn't happy at the way he laid into the detective constable. I heard from D.I. Jarvis that Fry sustained some grievous injuries and I'm sorry for it. I'd like to draw a line under the unfortunate incident in the pub last night, Parker's got some bruising from your Yank's choke hold so he didn't get off scot free and besides that I've got a couple of officer's not looking too pretty this morning.'

'D.C. Fry is looking at a month's absence from work Bunny, I can't afford the loss of any officer at the moment; we've got a caseload that's ready to sink us and more responsibilities coming our way from the Home Office.' Spikings wasn't willing to give up too easily on the damages issue as he wasn't trading Harry's assault for an easy life over the pub incident. 'The lad only pushed your boy; bit of booze in him, stupid thing to do but he's a junior officer no need to go at him like that.'

Bunny ignored that as he appreciated Mad Gordon's tactics. 'The girl won't want her name bandied about. Parker's bound to say she led him on and mud always sticks…

'It won't stick on D.I. Makepeace; she's always meticulously polite when the lad's try and get a date with her, let's them down nicely and won't put up with any nonsense. Now your boy Rory, he won't take no for an answer; follows her home and then tries it on. I'm telling you Bunny, nip it in the bud now or he'll seriously assault some poor woman and you'll have worse to deal with.'

Schofield accepted defeat and nodded. Both senior officers would prefer not to have to deal with the case but on current behaviour D.I. Parker had some serious issues to deal with.

'I'll see what D.C. Fry wants to do about the injuries but my recommendation will be to let it go as the lad shouldn't have started it; no guarantees but I'll do my best. George, the publican, is sending the bill for damage to me and I'll split it with you fifty, fifty and no more said.'

'Agreed,' they shook hands and the discussion moved to gossip about 'upstairs, who was in and who was out of favour and Spikings, Gatwick coup. This type of conversation was enjoyed by both parties and the two men left at the end of the evening in perfect harmony.

-oOo-

Harry wasn't surprised when Dempsey didn't turn up that evening and neither did he call to cancel. She mulled over calling him and then decided that would be weak. It did occur to her that she might have been guilty of misjudging him and that made her feel awkward. She didn't sleep well that night and eventually gave in and dragged Dempsey's shirt out of the drawer and put it on.

She was just about to go to sleep when she heard someone trying to break into the property. It wouldn't be James he had a key; she quickly got out of bed and pulled on her jeans and went downstairs and just as she reached the hall she heard the sound of breaking glass at the back of the house. Makepeace quickly called the office and asked for assistance and then took out a baseball bat Dempsey had given her for protection as she usually left her gun in the office. She tried to switch on the lights but there'd either been a power cut or someone had tripped her fuses. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valour she hastily opened the front door and waited outside for backup in the shirt, jeans and bare feet.

When the squad car arrived, the uniformed police went both to the back of the house and in the front; it looked like the perpetrator had legged it and they called for forensics to see if they could get any prints. Harry was given a coat and she waited patiently outside for them to finish.

Spikings turned up with D.I. Jarvis who took in Harry's attire without saying a word other than she might like to retrieve some shoes and a change of clothes and go to a friend's for the night.

The Yank arrived and remained stoic as he took in what his ex-partner was wearing and was glad for her sake that the shirt wasn't specifically identifiable as his although he was pretty sure Chas would put two and two together.

'You didn't see who did it?' Dempsey pushed her for detail. He wanted to get the skinny on who exactly would try and break into Harry's property other than him.

'No, I decided to get out of the house as I'm not armed and I wasn't feeling particularly like challenging an unknown assailant or assailants; call it an off day,' she added as if to say 'so there.'

'You did the right thing,' Spikings supported Makepeace's actions. 'We get enough action in the day job without fighting off villains in our own homes. 'It may be just a common burglary, let's see if we get any prints that can help us. Right Harry, once the boys have finished here we'll get the window sorted out and you can move back in tomorrow. 'Dempsey take Harry to wherever she wants to go for the night and then pick her up tomorrow and come back here and check if anything's missing.'

'Okay boss.' He turned to the blonde officer, 'you got your stuff princess? Let me take you away from all this; you can stay at mine if you like, promise no funny business.'

'Perhaps I'd be safer here,' Harry demurred as she got into his car using the reassuring banter of the days of yore. She stared out the windscreen as he started the car and hoped he wouldn't say anything about the shirt.

Dempsey didn't say anything about the shirt as he was in a bad mood with Harry and then he'd been anxious about her and hadn't left it to Spikings and Jarvis to check she was okay. 'Any ideas about who it might be?'

'No, not really,' she smoothed her hair back. 'I just heard the sound of someone trying my lock; attempting to force the door and then the breaking glass. The perpetrator obviously didn't have your skills.'

'Maybe you should've confronted them,' he shrugged when she glanced across at him, 'just saying; we'd know who it was then.'

'Yes and I might be in hospital or in the morgue, I had your baseball bat and that was it. I don't go to sleep with a magnum under my pillow.'

'Well maybe you should,' he batted back at her. 'Where d'you want to go anyway; hotel or friend I'll pick you up from wherever tomorrow.'

'I thought I would stay with you as you're a friend, aren't you?' She turned to look at him her cool blue eyes taking in his moody expression.

'You can if you want although I don't really know why you'd want to do that cos you certainly don't trust me even if you do have the hots for me.' Harry's assumption that he'd ask her to drop the complaint against Parker still rankled.

'I do trust you,' she bit her lip. 'I'm sorry about this lunch time, I shouldn't have assumed you'd ask me to pull the complaint about Parker. It's just that men often don't take these things seriously. I mean you stole a few kisses in the early days; I could have reported you!'

'We were undercover on both those occasions; you were my wife Shar and the second time was when we were hiding the fact we were snooping on those bad guys and hiding the receiver. And I didn't hurt you.' Dempsey glanced over at her. 'Anyway, it ain't the same cos you like me that way,' he pulled into his parking space.

'It is absolutely the same, you didn't have my consent for the kiss,' the blonde pointed out furiously, 'and that's dangerously like saying I was leading you on and I wanted it anyway.'

'Well you did,' he responded and got lashed by her fiery blue glance. 'Screw it, there's no point in talking to you when you get like this,' he got out of the car and opened the door of the building and waved her in, in a sarcastic mockery of a courteous gesture from an earlier age.

'Men,' the blonde hissed at him as she walked in and dumped her bag on the sofa. 'I'll take this as I'd hate to put you out.

'You know dating you is no fun that shirt probably gets more action than I do,' he muttered under his breath.

Harry gave a sound like an outraged kitten and threw a book at his head which he deftly caught. 'You're unbelievable!'

Dempsey ignored her and threw a pillow and a sheet and a duvet at the couch and walked into his bedroom and shut the door leaving her to it. He hauled his shirt over his head and got rid of the jeans and boxers. 'Women,' he growled as he got ready for bed ignoring any etiquette due to his annoying guest. She knew where everything was in the bathroom, even had her own toothbrush so no need for anything else. He mulled over the situation for a while and then he smiled cos she'd got his shirt on again, he could imagine what the guys were thinking about that especially if they'd put two and two together reference the missing shirt.

Harry lay on the sofa which was reasonably comfortable, she stared at his bedroom door and felt very lonely indeed. She wanted James but as she was mad at him she really couldn't have him, it didn't stop her feeling needy though. He came out of the bedroom to go to the bathroom and she turned her face into the pillow not wanting to give herself away.

Dempsey had seen that look before she turned away and he smiled as he brushed his teeth and washed his face. Maybe he should just pick her up and take her to bed. Knowing her she'd fight him though. He could go and talk to her but that might just make things worse. He'd get a drink of water and ask her if she wanted one that was kind of conciliatory.

He walked out of the bathroom and into the kitchen area and got some water. Harry'd curled up in a ball and was facing the back of the sofa. 'You want some water,' he asked her his voice sounded like it had sank to his toes. Damn it, she'd know he was feeling it.

'Yes please,' Harry turned around and sat up. 'Thank you,' she said politely as he handed her a glass.

'Pretty upsetting someone breaking into your place like that, how come you never noticed when I did it,' he sat next to her on the couch.

'Perhaps you were better at it,' Harry offered but she secretly suspected it was because James was always welcome even when she was annoyed at him or it could implicate her in illegal activity like harbouring a suspected felon.

'Probably just a burglary but I'm not happy you being there on your own until we know what we're dealing with and you need better security so we need to do some specialist shopping.'

'We do,' she questioned the we? She liked the sound of that but there hadn't been much of that lately, they'd mainly been in opposition.

'Yeah we do. Mad at you; still like you though,' his gaze held hers and neither of them looked away. 'You can't be too comfortable here why don't you come to bed. I'll behave, won't steal any kisses I promise.'

'Well in that case, I'll take you up on your kind offer,' Harry gave a gasp as he picked her up, swung her round and took her into the bedroom kicking the door open. 'You idiot, I've spilt the water,' she held onto the glass not wanting to drop it.

He put her down on the bed. 'It's only water; won't hurt nothing,' he took the glass off her and put it on the nightstand. 'You're all comfortable now,' he smiled at her as he got under the duvet with her. 'That shirt don't smell too fresh princess, you want one of my tee shirts,' he asked the question tongue in cheek. 'Course Spikings and Chas ain't too smart so I don't think they'll associate your choice of nightie with my stolen shirt.'

'It could be anyone's shirt,' Harry was cool under pressure. 'I never made out I was a nun and they know I've been married; and I do date from time to time.' She punched the pillow to get comfortable.

'You smell like me,' James murmured. 'I prefer you to smell like you which is all perfumed and occasionally needy.'

'You're making me blush,' she responded her blue eyes holding his with growing confidence. He really could get awards for suggestive remarks.

'I want my shirt back,' he growled as his fingers went to the top button, 'I mean it ain't yours.' Harry's eyes had dilated and she looked like she looked when she wanted his attention.

'Ah well then you'd be the receiver of stolen goods and I wouldn't want to implicate you in a crime,' Harry smiled with pleasure at foiling him and then gave a very pretty pout as he started to unbutton it anyway.

'When you pout like that makes me want to kiss you,' Dempsey growled huskily as he undid the buttons of his shirt slowly revealing more and more of the blonde. He started to kiss her warm flesh as it was revealed.

'You said you weren't going to kiss me,' she whispered but her heart wasn't in the weak protest.

'I lied,' he moved over her and kissed her mouth and didn't seem to be very worried about his dishonesty and as she didn't protest too much he felt he had permission to continue.


	19. Chapter 19

'No finger prints,' Jarvis handed over the file and Dempsey took it, reading through it rapidly.

'Okay, so the perp gets frightened off when Harry goes out the front door cos they know they've been rumbled or they know she ain't gonna be in the house.'

'Seems like it, we got a print of a shoe in the soft soil, male footprint size ten foot. So it suggests a single male involved.'

'Well not all burglars work with a partner so that's fine, okay so we're looking for some guy, potentially a burglar who works the area or someone who's got a grudge against D.I. Makepeace.'

'Sounds about right,' Chas responded as he was handling the case. 'Well on the grudge front we could check any ex-con's who've been released lately, ex-boyfriends and Parker, he's a possible. I'll find out what size shoe he takes.'

'Yeah, Parker's a possible that complaint is bound to have found its way to Bunny Schofield by now. You need to check his alibi for last night.'

'Thanks Jim,' Chas said dourly wondering if Dempsey thought he'd got his Inspector status because of long service. 'At least you got your shirt back,' the Glaswegian responded drily and went to give Spikings some information he'd requested.

Dempsey smiled at that but he saw Harry freeze and bury herself in her computer screen. He wandered over there. 'Circumstantial evidence,' he growled in her ear, 'can't convict. But did last night's punishment fit the crime,' he murmured softly.

'Oh I think I paid you back handsomely,' Harry responded with a small smile playing around her mouth, 'no debt outstanding.'

'Well it was a breach of trust and that can take a long time to repair,' his dark eyes teased her, 'you staying at my place tonight?' Ever the opportunist, Dempsey liked the idea of having Harry around.

'No thank you, they've repaired the glass in my door and I've got a specialist security firm coming tonight to make my home a safer place.' As much as she liked being with James she really felt that she needed to keep a certain level of independence.

'Okay I'll come over and make sure they do a good job, I'll bring the food you can just sit back and relax,' he smiled at her. 'And until we know who the intruder is you're not staying there on your own.' He could see she didn't like being thought anything other than self-sufficient but she weren't getting her own way on this one. 'Don't argue angel, I'm serious.'

'I can see you are,' she folded her arms across her chest. 'You can't just order me around Dempsey, I can look after myself…

'We'll talk about it later,' he soothed her not wanting another falling out but equally determined to get his own way on this. She was his girl, she got his support and that was the end of that. He had a strong feeling that this wasn't a run of the mill burglary and he went with his nose.

Harry frowned comically. 'I don't know what's more irritating you're bossing me around or placating me; it's a close call.'

'Let's get some coffee I want to run something by you,' he coaxed her into taking a break, she worked too hard and they hadn't had a lot of sleep last night as they made love like they argued, with a lot of passion.

'That sounds ominous, this isn't a proposal is it because I don't think we're there yet,' she teased him in her usual manner as she picked up her bag and got up to follow him.

'Don't get ahead of yourself Makepeace,' he drawled in an amused tone. 'And that's one big insult, I wouldn't take you to the canteen if I was going to do that. I ain't that cheap!'

Spikings gave them a disapproving look as he saw them sauntering off but didn't say anything. He'd just received a report to say the shoe print had been a red herring as it had been deliberately placed in the soft soil and the imprint was too faint to have had anyone standing in the shoe. He was concerned that Harry had reported nothing missing but then she had left the house and the villain may have been aware of that and aborted the burglary.

Dempsey placed a tea in front of Harry and a jam tart and then put some disgusting looking fried sandwich on the table that he was presumably going to eat. 'The footprint was a fake,' he picked up the sandwich, 'Chas just reported in.'

'That's odd; so someone breaking into my house and then trying to leave evidence that wouldn't incriminate them?' She sipped her tea and ignored the jam tart, that definitely was not the M.O. of a common burglar.

'Yeah so not your normal thief, that's why I'm staying with you until we narrow this down. It's written down in the boyfriend book; you have to protect the little woman.'

Harry thought about her situation and the possible threat. 'So has Chas come up with a list of any newly released ex-con's I've put away; he's asked me about old boyfriends but I really don't think any of my dates would have a serious grudge except for my ex-husband who got nothing from the divorce due to Freddie insisting on a prenuptial agreement. He's in South Africa currently so I think we can rule him out.'

'Chas doesn't think there's much in the way of prisoner release to be worried about; most of the nastier element won't be going anywhere for a good few years so that's a bust.'

'So that leaves Rory Parker as a possible suspect,' Harry came to the conclusion that Dempsey was leading her to.

'Yeah, he's a definite maybe,' the dark-haired American confirmed, 'but we don't have any real evidence as yet. 'I mean we know he's hot for you and that he don't take rejection well and the guy's got a violent streak. Police officer though so that presents some difficulties.'

Harry met Dempsey's gaze and she gave a sigh of frustration, 'James you are not to go rogue on this one, promise me. It's D.I. Jarvis's case not yours and Chas is a good copper; he's not as gung-ho as you but he is meticulous.'

Dempsey felt frustrated, cos if anyone was messing with Makepeace he wanted to sort them out. 'Yeah, I know that but you're my girl and I can't just treat this as a normal case…

'Which is why Spikings gave it to Chas because as my ex-partner he would assume you'd become extremely protective and he would be right,' Harry's blue eyes searched his.

'Course he'd be right. I ain't letting some jumped up jerk like Parker mess with you Harry, anyway I've told Spikings I'm staying over at yours so you've escaped the safe house cos I know how you'd hate that.'

'That was rather presumptuous,' Harry's disdainful glance told him how little she appreciated his interference. 'I haven't agreed to your staying with me and I certainly don't think your announcing it to the Chief Inspector was a good idea. 'What did he say?'

Dempsey drained his coffee and sent her an irritated look. 'He said that it would be better if someone stayed with you but to keep it on the down low because he didn't want your name bandied about in a derogatory fashion as you had Parker on the naughty step.'

'I'll ask Sergeant Hargreaves,' Harry got up and left him in the canteen as she was furious at his high-handed actions on her behalf, and very conscious of her delicate position reference Parker.

Joyce nodded when Harry asked her to stay over. I'll talk to my husband and we'll sort out something workable. How long do you think it will be for?'

'A couple of days, I'm happy to stay there on my own it's just Dempsey being overly protective and to be honest I just don't need my name linked to a male officer at this current time.

'No absolutely not, that worm Parker would love to use some allegation like that to blacken your name even D.I. Dempsey must see that,' Joyce was quite a feminist and knew how chauvinistic male officers were.

'Thank you Joyce I really appreciate your help with this; I'll cook something nice for dinner.' She walked over to Dempsey as he had just come out of the interview room although interrogation room would be the better name for it. 'With reference to your concern at my being alone in my home, Joyce has agreed to come and stay with me for a few days so you can stand down D.I. Dempsey.'

The American detective was furious with her changing his plan after he'd agreed it with Spikings, 'Hargreaves ain't in my league when it comes to protection Makepeace; you're making this difficult Harry,' his dark eyes reflected his displeasure. He saw Spikings beckon him and his jaw squared aggressively. 'Talk to you in a little bit,' he left her to find out what the boss wanted but the conversation wasn't over and he was mad at Harry for bringing Hargreaves into the mix.

-oOo—

Chas met Dempsey in the bar and accepted the pint that had been ordered on his behalf, 'you don't look too happy what's up?' The Glaswegian sipped his beer and waited patiently for his friend to fill him in.

'You got a tail on Parker?' Dempsey growled. 'Cos Tinkerbell has got Tressy as her minder, and the girls do okay when they're paired up with one of us but I don't exactly see them as the dynamic duo on their own.' Since Joyce had got injured on the Daish gig, Dempsey had reservations about her fieldwork. It was okay when the girls were dealing with a fraud case, bent accountants didn't usually have shooters.

'Harry and Joyce,' Chas considered that and nodded to say 'understood.' 'The new security should help, Makepeace said she's got a top-class firm installing a new system tonight cameras and everything.'

'I know I'm going over there to check it out, so what about Parker have you got him under surveillance?' Dempsey was like a dog with a bone and wanted the skinny on Jarvis's operation.

'Officially no as I'd have to get clearance to mount surveillance on a fellow officer but unofficially we have eyes on him but I never said that,' Chas drank his beer.

'Who's doing it?' Dempsey asked but Chas just blanked him. The Scottish officer was an easy-going bloke but he wasn't being interrogated by the Yank on his choice of officers for the job.

'Yeah sorry, it's difficult to be chilled when it's Harry,' he fiddled with the tablemat feeling somewhat awkward. 'I mean she's a strong dame, but carries the independence thing too far at times. I've always looked out for her.'

'You're the hard man of SI10 and Makepeace is competitive. The more you push to protect her the more she'll push back.' Chas studied people, and he had a lot of insight to share but he rarely did. Jim was a good detective, one of the best; if not the best but when it came to the blonde he was deaf, dumb and blind at times.

Yeah, I know that but it don't stop me… He tailed off and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. 'Thanks for the heads up, my instinct is to go for Parker and scare the crap out of him.'

'Maybe that's what he wants, he could use it to discredit Harry's complaint.' Chas leaned forward and held Dempsey's gaze, 'this is my case Jim, leave it to me.' He watched the Yank get up to leave, 'Morrison and Calvert, the eyes on,' he relented and named the officers as he knew Dempsey rated them.

'Thanks Chas, I owe you one,' the American officer left the bar and headed off to Harry's place.


	20. Chapter 20

Dempsey knocked on Makepeace's door and gave a grimace of a smile when Joyce answered. 'Where's your moves Sergeant; you don't check through the peephole, I could have evil intent.'

'I've never doubted it,' Joyce responded sarcastically. 'I saw your car draw up from the lounge window and besides that we have four security personnel on the premises to deal with any person of evil intent so I think the current threat level can be contained.'

'You should never lower your guard,' Dempsey responded didactically as he walked to the back of the house and found Harry discussing the protection she wanted. 'So what we got here,' his interrogative manner soon meant that Mike Manners the security firm's representative started to dialogue with Dempsey rather than Makepeace.

'Excuse me,' Harry butted in. 'I'm the customer here and I'm paying the invoice so…. It was as if she was invisible, Dempsey started to tell them what to install, where and she gave a sound of total exasperation and went to find Joyce.

Joyce had observed the interaction and had made Harry a soothing cup of tea. 'Infuriating isn't it; you may as well let him get on with it and if you don't like what they end up doing tell them to send the D.I. the invoice.'

Harry took the tea gratefully and started to prepare dinner for herself and Joyce. 'It is bloody infuriating,' she muttered as she peeled vegetables and prepared potatoes. She'd been put in a difficult position as she'd have had to cause a scene in order to take over the dialogue with the security chap.

An hour later her temper went up another notch when Dempsey shouted over at her. 'Harry, come here princess, I want to show you how this stuff works.'

She stoically joined him and Mike and they took her through all the sequences to set up her security, it was relatively simple which was good but she had to really concentrate and put her anger to one side which was very difficult.

'Your husband has all the instructions, if you'd just sign here luv,' Harry heard Joyce's snort of laughter and a red mist moment overtook her.

'Don't call me luv, I'm the customer here and for your information he isn't my husband; he's a work colleague,' she signed on the dotted line and showed the security specialists out with a distinct coolness.

'Bit rude Makepeace, the guys did a good job you could've at least offered them a beer,' Dempsey went to her fridge and got himself one. 'Top of the art stuff as long as you read the instructions and set it up properly, it ain't too complicated.'

'So not too difficult for a female then,' Joyce responded tongue in cheek and caught a broadside of blue fire from Harry and an irritated look from the Yank.

'Nah, it's simple a child could do it. You can go to advance settings but most da… people,' he self-corrected, 'don't do that.' He was used to Hargreaves stirring and he was irritated she was here as he couldn't talk to Harry with her there and he knew Makepeace would use the Sergeant as some kind of shield cos she was annoyed with him for trying to look out for her.

'I'll study the advanced settings and see if there's any additional features I'd like to use,' Harry took the instructions from Dempsey and glared at him.

'What?' He protested at her icy manner, 'I told you I'd supervise the security team, we agreed that this morning,' he took a swig of the beer. 'Something smells nice,' he alluded to the meal Harry was preparing.

Joyce could see that they might want a few words in private so she made an excuse about unpacking and left them to it; it was all rather amusing as in her opinion you couldn't pick two more stubborn people to pair up than Harry and Jim.

'It was my security install and you just ignored me as if I wasn't there and that idiot Manners did the same. It was out of order!' She was seething.

'Yeah well, guys speak the same language on these things, it's quicker than having to explain it to… He stopped as he could see he was digging a bigger hole to jump into.

'What a vegetable or a highly intelligent female who is a police officer with a good knowledge of securing properties. It's one of the first chapters on dealing with domestic safety in the training manual of how to be a copper.' He was so infuriating and she could see he'd pulled on his, dealing with the little woman when she was irrational face.

'I was only trying to help Harry, give me a break. So far you've got Chas handling the break-in and Hargreaves providing protection; what am I supposed to do sit around and twiddle my thumbs.' He gave her the puppy dog look which usually softened her up and saw her deflate like a balloon with the air whooshing out.

'I know you are,' Harry conceded with grudging empathy for his situation. 'It would be nice if you could help without making me feel like some swooning female in a silent movie,' she grumbled at him as he drank his beer. 'You can stay to dinner if you like, I should be able to make it stretch to three.'

'Thanks but I've got to meet a snout tonight so I'll take a rain check on that, see you tomorrow baby,' he tipped up her chin and kissed her coaxing her into it until she was clinging to him. He raised his head and took in her vulnerable expression, 'I like it when you swoon, Harry.' He kissed her on the nose in a totally patronising fashion and left her as she fumed at being played.

-oOo-

'Hey Dan,' Dempsey joined the old wino at one of his usual haunts. 'What's cooking, got the word you wanted to see me,' he sat down in front of the fire on an old tyre.

'The girl, your girl,' Dan took a sip of cider from the bottle and gazed into the fire.

'Yeah Harry, my partner the blonde chick with the snooty accent,' he probed for confirmation. 'What about her?'

Dan turned, 'Did you talk to her yet. Did you tell her how you feel,' the older man looked at him his eyes yellowed with the liver complaint he suffered from.

'Yeah I talked to her, we're still working things through and it ain't easy. Why'd you want to talk about her?' He got offered the bottle of cider and took it just to be friendly as he was no fan of cider and especially the rocket fuel variety. It was a mild night with a soft breeze so at least he wasn't freezing his butt off out here.

'There's talk on the streets. A couple of chums of mine got paid to go to her place of residence and frighten her. They give police information from time to time like me, that's how I know.'

'I see, so what you're saying is that these guys were put up to causing Harry grief, who by? Any idea who did that?' Dempsey was fully alert now, any threat to Harry made his hackles rise.

'Police,' Dan turned to him and smiled. 'They were paid off by the police, a copper like you. Don't know who so I can't say.' Dan mused for a while. 'I know their names though but if you lean on them they'll know it was me that told you.'

'Okay, okay, don't worry about that. I won't implicate you.' Dempsey thumbed his nose his mind quickly zoning in on Parker. 'If you gave me the names I might be able to find out who they give information to, if I knew that I'd know the cop that's doing it.'

Dan looked dubious but he wanted to protect the 'lady,' as she'd always been nice to him. 'Freddie Fingers Lloyd and Casper Hines real names Charles or Charlie looks pale like a ghost. They're small time villains, not big fish, paid to frighten her nothing more than that from what I heard.'

'Thanks Dan, I owe you one.' He offered Dan some money but the old man turned it down.

'She's a nice woman as much as any woman can be called that, look after her.'

'I aim to but she's a challenge I can tell you that,' Dempsey responded dryly. 'Likes to pretend she don't need nobody…

'She's like you in that,' Dan responded wisely poking the fire. 'We all need somebody, even down and out's like me, we have a community of our own and that's where we hear things, street talk.'

'Yeah I get that. You know Dan you don't look too good; let me get you a place to stay… Dempsey was concerned the old man looked worse than usual, he didn't look right.

'No thank you James, it's safer out here; I'll be fine,' he sat for a while gazing into the fire and then keeled over.

Dempsey got on his RT and got an ambulance, the old guy was unconscious which didn't look too good. He liked Dan; he was a wise old bird and he could really talk to him; used him as a sounding board. He got hold of Chas and gave him the information Dan had given him and told him to investigate the snouts and who they gave information too. 'It's related to Harry's break in?' He didn't reveal that the two men had caused the damage because that was something else.

Dempsey stayed at the hospital but the news wasn't good and by the morning Dan had gone to meet his maker. The American felt sad about it as he considered the guy a friend. On the other hand, he no longer had Dan to protect so they could get Fingers and Casper in and interrogate them, he went straight from the hospital to the office.

Harry's nostrils flared slightly as she took in the American's disheveled appearance, 'stale alcohol and something else, where've you been Dempsey? You were wearing those clothes yesterday; have you been to bed?'

'Justice never sleeps,' he quipped. 'No, I ain't been to bed cos I've been looking out for you,' he picked an apple off her desk and crunched into it. 'And I had to take Dan to the hospital, unfortunately he's not coming back out as he passed away last night.'

'Oh James, I'm sorry,' Harry looked sympathetic and put her hand on his arm in a comforting way. 'I know he was a friend of yours; he was a real character.'

'Yeah he was, and he wanted me to protect you so he gave me some information which Chas is following up so I think we've got a chance to crack this.' He saw Jarvis come in and got out of his seat and got hold of his friend's arm and guided him into one of the offices.

Harry looked decidedly put out and followed them. 'If it's about my break in; I want to know,' she sat down and looked at them both expectantly.

Dempsey ignored her interruption and looked at Chas, 'what did you get on Lloyd and Hines whose snitches are they?'

Chas looked at his notes. 'They're pretty small potatoes but they have a number of links into the Met and one of those links is into Fraud.'

'Are you talking about Casper and Fingers?' Harry chimed in. 'I know them, they gave us some intel on Charles Madison on the Winchester case, nothing major but helpful.'

'Yeah well according to Dan they were paid to attempt a break in to your property by a copper so I think we should get them in and lean on them,' he looked over at Chas, 'your call.'

'Why didn't you tell me this last night,' Chas frowned. 'I'll haul them in for questioning, is there anything else you're not telling me?'

'Dan told me in confidence and on the basis that they wouldn't know he'd turned up the information. Sorry Chas, I gave you as much as I could. Dan's dead now so it don't matter,' the American's expression changed as he remembered the older man. 'I used to like talking to him; wise man, helped me out on a couple of things.'

'So you think Parker put them up to the break-in?' Harry looked shocked that a fellow officer would do that.

'Well there's a couple of other teams that use the guys' for information, how many cops have you upset?' Dempsey drawled sarcastically. 'I'm going home to get some sleep keep me informed,' he walked out.

Harry followed and caught his arm in the corridor, 'are you okay James? I'm sorry about Dan I know he wasn't just a snout,' she squeezed his arm trying to comfort him.

Dempsey looked down at Harry and then put his arms around her and hugged her to him uncaring as to who walked by, he didn't say anything because he felt all choked up. It was comforting holding her like this but he knew he had to let her go as Spikings was approaching. 'Bereavement,' he threw at the older man.

'I don't care what it is don't do it here, deepest sympathies,' he tacked on in case the Yank was telling the truth.

'I'll come to see you later,' Harry said softly as they broke apart, 'try and get some sleep.' She watched him go and then turned back and found she was face to face with the Chief Inspector.

'Who died?' Spikings asked brusquely. He wasn't an unsympathetic man just didn't want officers canoodling in the office.

'Dan, one of Dempsey's snitches. He gave us information on the Daish case and seems to have uncovered those responsible for the attempted burglary at my place. He lived rough and wasn't in the best of health, D.I. Dempsey was at the hospital last night when Dan died.'

'I know the one,' he rubbed a hand over his short bristly hair. 'It's a hard life living on the street; takes its toll. He spied Chas and pointed at his office, 'well if dear, departed Dan has shed some light on your break-in Makepeace, I'd be delighted to hear it.'

-oOo-


	21. Chapter 21

Harry caught Joyce's arm, 'I won't be staying at my place tonight a friend of mine has had a bit of an upset and I'm staying over, apologies if that's a problem.'

'No of course it's not a problem,' Joyce responded pleasantly as she always liked her own bed best, 'and give your friend my best regards,' her eyes twinkled with amusement.

Harry ignored that as Sergeant Hargreaves couldn't know for sure where she was going and if she wanted to speculate then that was her own affair. Of course, she'd have to go and get some of her things first because she couldn't remember if she'd left any clothes at Dempsey's or perhaps she should just go and buy some new clothes as Fingers and Casper were proving hard nuts to crack on the issue of the break in and whilst that was the case it probably was a better idea not to be at her place on her own. In the end, she found a rather nice suit in M&S and a tee shirt to go with it and a set of pretty underwear. She didn't bother with nightwear because she liked wearing Dempsey's shirts or tee shirts and knew that he was quite happy for her to borrow them.

Harry let herself into Dempsey's apartment and found him asleep in the bedroom, he woke as she entered and rubbed his eyes. 'What time is it?'

'Seven p.m.,' she answered simply. 'I've brought dinner are you hungry,' her blue eyes were sympathetic as she took in his weary expression. 'I'll get it ready while you take a shower,' he nodded and got out of bed stark naked and made his way to the bathroom where he'd left his bathrobe.

'Don't stand on ceremony for me,' she said under her breath as she took the food out of the carrier bags.

'I won't,' James murmured in her ear as he leant down and kissed her neck pulling her back against him. 'Nice of you to come over, when you said that it made me feel better.' It was nice just the feel of her body against his; it was comforting as he was still feeling down cos of Dan. She was like that Makepeace, always had been. If he was troubled she'd always been there for him even in the early days, when you come down to it she was a nice girl, thoughtful and loyal.

'Well what are friends for,' she leaned back against him and then broke his grasp to turn around and look at him, 'are you okay?' Her gaze took in his bruised expression; he looked sad and she couldn't bear that.

'Yeah, I'm fine all the better for seeing you,' he'd pulled on his robe so as not to offend her sensibilities as she hadn't got used to him walking around naked and he knew that. 'Just a bit down about it all. When you resigned and you wouldn't talk to me, I told Dan about it. He told me to talk to you; made me practice and I couldn't say a word and he was mad at me for it.' He needed a moment and he buried his face in her hair inhaling the sweet fragrance; swallowing hard he pulled himself together.

James lifted his head and his gaze met hers. 'I took notice though and told you I needed you and then you came back,' he smiled at her. 'So, in a way that brought us closer and that was down to Dan.'

Harry's eyes softened, 'well then he meant something to both of us; he changed our lives,' she ran her arms around James and hugged him and sighed as he returned the embrace.

'Yeah, could've lost you,' he nuzzled her hair. 'I'd hate for that to happen Harry, you got to know that,' when she looked up there were tears in her eyes and he kissed her eyelids.

'Me too,' she whispered, when James opened up it made her go weak at the knees and gooey inside it was probably just as well he didn't do it very often.

They held each other for a long time and then eventually James kissed her forehead and broke away and went off to get a shower and Harry sat down for a minute just to get herself back together before she got up and started to cook the meal.

-oOo—

The next morning, they went to the office as usual only to be greeted by Hargreaves with unwelcome news. 'You've been summoned,' Joyce remarked sarcastically. 'Schofield is in Spikings office with Parker, the Chief Superintendent and…

Harry went pale, 'the Chief Superintendent, what's he doing here?'

Dempsey rode up on Makepeace's shoulder, 'what's up? He sensed Harry's distress and anything that bugged Harry bugged him.

Joyce repeated the information and looked expectantly at the younger woman. 'I er… think you'd better go in, Spikings was most insistent that you should the minute you arrived.'

Makepeace took a deep breath ran her hands down the skirt of her suit to smooth any wrinkles and stiffened her spine and walked into the Chief Inspectors office. Dempsey followed on her heels.

Spikings looked up as they both entered the room. 'Good morning D.I. Dempsey and D.I. Makepeace, I hadn't realised I'd requested your presence Dempsey but no matter.'

Parker was looking pleased with himself and he almost gloated as he looked at the couple. He laid out photographs on the table like a card dealer. The photographs were of D.I. Makepeace entering Dempsey's building a little before seven p.m. they were all time stamped and showed the date and then her leaving the next morning at seven a.m. for work.

'I took the liberty of following D.I. Makepeace as she slandered my good name and raised a complaint against me for sexual harassment. As we can see Makepeace is quite happy to date coppers and is having an affair with her ex-partner.'

Dempsey's jaw squared and his gaze was dark with menace as he looked at the other officer but he bided his time waiting on Harry's response.

'I wasn't aware my private life was on trial,' the blonde detective was cool under fire as she'd worked through this scenario more than once since she'd started dating James.

'She's a flirt, she accepted a lunch date with me and it wasn't just the one date and then she's been seeing Dempsey here on the sly; my guess is she cried assault because the boyfriend might get nasty about a fling with me. We all know the Yank's a nut job, her bit of rough's my guess.'

Harry's blue eyes met Dempsey's and he could see how mortified she was with the way this was being played out and he dug deep. He could rescue the princess and get absolutely no thanks for it but as long as she went along with the game plan it could work. His dark eyes sent her an insistent message and he saw her swallow hard.

'As far as I'm aware it's not a crime for D.I. Makepeace to have a relationship that is consensual; the issue here is that Parker forced himself on the lady.' He looked at the Chief Superintendent and could see the guy was shifting uncomfortably in his chair. 'I know it's not how you wanted to announce this Harry but under the circumstances, I think we should go public.'

Harry's blue eyes flashed to his, oh my God what was he going to say next. He was looking at her asking her to back him up. 'I'm reluctant to discuss my personal life in a public forum,' she demurred as she wasn't sure what angle Dempsey had come up with.

Spikings was holding his breath well aware the Yank was quick on his feet but pretty sure it was another R.P.G. incoming.

Dempsey looked around at his audience pausing for dramatic effect and then went for it. 'D.I. Makepeace has done me the honour of accepting my hand in marriage and the only thing that's kept me from rearranging Parker's face is her insistence that she deals with the assault in a formal way. And she's doing that to stop some other female from getting his unwanted advances cos the third time ain't no charm.'

Harry felt her heart had stopped but she manned up with every aristocratic muscle, her skin flushed delicately and she tried to zone out in an effort not to react to her ex-partner's bluff.

Spikings ran his hand over his bristly hair and gave Harry a helping hand. He looked at the Superintendent, 'this isn't a surprise to me sir as D.I. Makepeace informed me she was dating Dempsey a number of months ago, and as the officers are professional in their approach to their work I declined to take any action. I have a highly successful team and don't want the delicate balance upset.'

Dempsey had to give it to the boss he was very convincing when he lied and the fact that Spikings had lied to give Harry cover made him feel generously disposed towards Mad Gordon. Might even have to call him sir.

A knock at the door heralded the cavalry and D.I. Jarvis requested a word with Chief Inspector Spikings.

The Superintendent looked at his watch and then back at Schofield, he knew he had to be careful with his words as he didn't' want to be accused of sexism so care was needed. 'I'm not sure why you brought me here Schofield, the fact that D.I. Makepeace has a fiancé does not seem to affect the veracity of the complaint levelled at D.I. Parker.'

Spikings came in looking like the cat that got the cream and smiled at everyone benignly. This made Schofield feel very uncertain.

'New evidence has come to light on D.I. Makepeace's break in and I need to conclude this meeting,' he gave Parker a cold glare. 'The nature of the complaint being discussed will be changed somewhat and I suggest that we adjourn.'

The Chief Super was out of his seat as he had a heavy agenda that day and felt his time had been wasted. He turned to Makepeace as she was known to him through various police charities and he knew her father. 'Congratulations D.I. Makepeace and I'm sorry that you had to go public with your engagement before time,' with that he left.

Schofield beat a hasty retreat and Parker trailed after him looking unhappy and not quite sure how things had slipped away from him.

Chas came up to Dempsey, 'got a confession from Fingers and Casper, Parker's up shit creek without a paddle as they say. What's going on?' He indicated Spikings office with a nod of his head.

'I'll tell you over a beer later, good work,' he patted Chas on the back. This was great; Parker would be under arrest for paying the snouts to break into Harry's place so a sexual harassment charge would be low on his list of problems. Still it didn't sit well with him not to teach Rogering Rory a lesson for putting his paws on the princess and Parker was gonna pay for that before he got banged up at Her Majesty's pleasure.

Harry came over to Dempsey and her blue eyes swept over him coolly, 'can I have a word Detective Inspector.' She couldn't believe he could look so relaxed when he'd just announced they were getting married to the Chief Superintendent and two Chief Inspectors and one of them their boss.

'Certainly D.I. Makepeace,' he maintained the formalities and followed her out to the canteen and bought them a couple of beverages. 'Shoot,' he said as he paid for them.

'Engaged,' she hissed at him beside herself with exasperation. How could he? She'd had no intention of explaining why she was at Dempsey's address as in her opinion why should she. Undoubtedly it was embarrassing to be asked about it but really it was nobody else's business but their own

'Made you all respectable; people can be very judgemental, didn't want them thinking about you that way so…' he shrugged. 'I'm fine with it no worries.' He could see Harry was made up about it she looked like she was about to internally combust.

'Engaged,' she hissed again as if traumatised with the single word she could get out.

'Yeah, Spikings was good I was thinking Chas for the best man and now I'm not so sure,' his eyes were full of laughter as he carried the drinks to the table of choice. 'Got your back Harry.'

She sat down her body language tense. 'Dempsey, I feel like shooting you,' she said through gritted teeth and the worse thing about it was he seemed to think it was amusing.

'Best part was when the Chief Super…. He could see any further discussion was going to lead to violence and wisely stopped.

'Shut up,' she snapped at him. 'Don't say another word or I swear you'll be in a body bag in the morgue,' she took a sip of the hot beverage. It would be all over the Met in no time, detectives in her experience loved to gossip.

'Ah Burton and Taylor just who I wanted to see,' Spikings sat down next to them both and observed the Yank's amusement and Harry's barely suppressed fury. 'Well done D.I. Dempsey, you turned Parker's accusation from an alleged bit of hanky panky to a fine romance and Makepeace looked sufficiently reluctant to share the happy news, very convincing.'

'I don't see why I have to be owned by a man to have credibility,' Harry responded in an infuriated tone. 'It's ridiculous.'

'Yeah, it's wrong but that's how the world turns,' Dempsey agreed with a complete lack of concern and looked over at the boss. 'So, Chas said he got a confession,' he saw the boss's wide smile of satisfaction.

'A good start to the day wouldn't you say,' the older man beamed at them both and Harry gave a sound like an infuriated kitten and got up and stalked off. 'You might have some fences to mend with Makepeace,' he pointed out with a smirk.

'Nothing I can't handle, might wait a few days before we choose the ring though,' Dempsey gave a low laugh. 'Got to hand it to Harry, she kept her cool under difficult circumstances.'

'Y-e-s,' Spikings drawled out the word. 'Well good luck with the romance, you'll need it.'


	22. Chapter 22

Chas heard on the grapevine about Harry and Jim and he smiled. He could well imagine the scenario in Spikings office even though the boss hadn't said a word. He caught Dempsey in the locker room.

'I hear congratulations are in order,' he gave a small smile. 'You and Harry tying the knot when do we get the save the date cards.'

Dempsey just shrugged. 'Protecting a lady's honour what can I say, Parker was in there making all sorts of accusations trying to say Harry was the Met bike; had to say something.'

'Caused something of a stir,' the Glaswegian remarked. 'Parker shouldn't be a problem for much longer, it's turned from an internal disciplinary matter to a criminal charge. I've got the warrant and Spikings is talking to the Chief Superintendent this afternoon.'

Dempsey cracked his knuckles, 'I'd like a meet with the guy before he gets banged up, I won't let anyone touch Harry and it's been killing me not sorting that out.'

'Best to leave it Jim, he's in enough trouble already…. Chas knew he might as well save his breath, as he could see from Dempsey's face he wasn't going to let it go.

'How about we go for a drink at the Angler's and then if we happen to bump into Parker we can say hello,' the American put the idea forward. The Angler's Arms was Fraud's local.

Chas shook his head, 'I can't, I'm the arresting officer. Watson and Morrison might go with you; don't take Fry he's just recovering from the last brawl.

-oOo—

Spikings went to make the arrest with Inspector Jarvis and wasn't surprised to see Parker looking rather the worse for wear. He eyed the man sternly as Jarvis read out the charges.

Parker of course said he'd been framed and that Inspector Makepeace was in on it and that Dempsey was just a brainless thug. It was all bluster although the thug part was probably accurate. He didn't accuse the Yank of responsibility for his current facial rearrangement so by that the Chief Inspector and Jarvis assumed that the American officer had scared him to such a degree he'd keep schtum. As they'd all seen the Detective Inspector's interrogation style they weren't entirely surprised.

Harry returned to the office after a morning in court and immediately tuned into the office dynamics. She noticed a sudden buddy, buddy behaviour between Dempsey, Watson and Morrison and was suspicious especially as her erstwhile fiancé's knuckles looked badly bruised. They were all crowding around something and even Chas had a twitch of a smile on his face.

Makepeace got closer as they were too involved in their conversation to be aware of her proximity and then she saw the mug shot of Rory Parker. She bit her lip and stepped away, so that was it. Dempsey had been true to his word and roughed up Parker as some sort of sop to his machismo which would be cloaked under getting payback for her. Men!

Hargreaves had seen her take a sneak peek at the mug shot and since she'd been privy to the macho banter on the subject when Makepeace was out of the office she was fully aware of Parker's current status.

'Boys will be boys,' she murmured as she handed Harry a cup of tea, 'and at least D.I. Dempsey kept a lid on it while the investigation was underway which is the best that could be hoped for I suppose.'

Harry nodded fairly as she remembered asking Dempsey to take Parker to one side when the assault first happened. 'I always think it's more about the male ego than the female they believe they're protecting,' she sipped her tea.

Hargreaves sat on Makepeace's desk and got right to the gossip, 'a little bird told me that Dempsey announced your engagement in Spikings office this morning, congratulations.'

'Oh shut up Joyce,' Harry replied crossly. 'Parker was trying to make out I was some kind of man-eater; I'd lead him on and was fornicating with D.I. Dempsey so James made me respectable to spike Rogering Rory's guns. It worked; the Chief Superintendent congratulated me or us and apologised for the fact we'd been forced into a premature announcement. It was classic Dempsey and if it hadn't been about me I would probably have appreciated it.'

Joyce laughed heartily and Harry's fed up expression made it all the funnier. 'Dempsey has all the finesse of a tank but I have to say he gets amazing results,' she gave a moue of sympathy at her friend's exasperation. 'Oh well, you can always break the engagement and plead irreconcilable differences or insanity nobody would be surprised,' the sergeant offered helpfully.

Harry sighed pushing her fringe out of her eyes, 'Insanity probably however I'm going to have to endure the status of newly engaged until it seems appropriate to end our engagement. I'm sure there will be some kind of trigger which will naturally cause the event. Dempsey and I generally have a rather volatile relationship so I'll probably have a choice.'

'I would think you'd have a menu of options,' Hargreaves observed Dempsey and the boys critically; 'it's as if they're a completely different species; look at them they're metaphorically beating their chests.'

Harry looked over and caught Dempsey's eye, he maintained the eye contact and she blushed slightly and felt her heart beat faster. Joyce was right about there being no explanation for the mystery of biological attraction it was completely irrational. The sad fact was that although she deplored his macho behaviour her hormones seemed to sing and dance to the tune of a primitive beat; she roundly berated herself for this but there you go; she couldn't deny the fascination.

'Oh dear, poor Harry,' Hargreaves had caught her friend's expression as the newly engaged couple shared a glance.

'Shut up Joyce,' responded Harry as she buried her face in the computer trying to control the guilty blush stinging her cheeks, and the conversation ended as it started in a circular fashion.

-oOo-

Dempsey approached Makepeace at the end of the day and sat on her desk his gaze running over her, his eyes twinkling with amusement. 'So honey, what's the plan? Guys are going over to the bar to celebrate our engagement, you coming?' He saw her blue eyes fire with temper and leant over and kissed her nose. 'Well at least they won't be working out whether we do or we don't,' he offered in a dry tone.

'No, they will be conjecturing on when, where and which position,' Harry was under no illusion about locker room gossip.

'To be honest they did that anyway,' Dempsey responded in an even tone. 'C'mon, come over to the bar and treat me like you usually do and they'll all be thinking it was just me playing the big guy in front of the Super. Knowing Chas, he'll be downplaying the whole thing and refusing to pay out on the book they got running.'

Harry picked up her bag, 'they'll probably be opening a new book on how long it will take me to break off the engagement, or on what basis I would break off the engagement so there's still the opportunity for a wager. And just to be clear James, we are not engaged!'

Dempsey gave her an irritable glance, 'cool your jets, I ain't asked!' He picked up his jacket and followed her out. The weather was warm and the air balmy as they crossed the street and walked the short distance to the Ambercote Arms, he could hear the animated conversation and groaned internally and hoped the guys wouldn't go overboard on the fake engagement cos he could see Harry's spine stiffening and she looked ready to bolt, like a high bred filly that didn't fancy jumping this particular fence.

A roar of congratulations met their entrance and he could see Spikings face twitching with amusement as the wedding theme was badly rendered, 'dah dah, de dah, dah dah de dah.' A cheap looking bridal veil was placed on Harry's head by one of the girls from the typing pool, it was Wendy if he wasn't mistaken, yeah that's right willing Wendy if Morrison was to be believed.

Makepeace took it well; it was times like this that Lady Harriet truly emerged and she smiled and exchanged words here and there although her body language was telegraphing to him that if he thought sex was on the agenda tonight he was very much mistaken.

'So,' Watson was looking highly amused, 'how long has this been going on? We'd almost given up on the pair of you and then bam, engaged! News is all over the Met courtesy of our colleagues in Fraud.'

Harry saw the opportunity for a spot of revenge; she smiled with mock happiness, 'well Dempsey's been begging me for a date for so long it started to get rather tedious. I kept rejecting him because of his reputation with the ladies and in order to show me his utter devotion he asked me to marry him to prove to me that he was serious. Imagine that we hadn't had a single date.'

Jim took that one on the chin and his raised eyebrows and look of amusement showed his lack of provenance for that story, 'nah she's six months gone; father's got a shotgun, had to do the decent thing,' he got an elbow in the ribs for that one.

Since Harry looked as slim as ever; she caught they're not too subtle glances to test Dempsey's story, she could see that an element of doubt was starting to creep in.

Joyce handed Makepeace a drink which she accepted gratefully. 'Very good,' Hargreaves smiled at her, 'and what are the wedding plans have you got a date in mind?' Her eyes danced with amusement, 'after all if what Dempsey says is true; you're cutting it fine.'

'No ring on that finger D.I. Makepeace, is Dempsey being a cheapskate or have you got some ancestral ring being adjusted to fit your fair hand,' Spikings was getting his money's worth.

'Good point sir,' Harry's blue eyes met her fiancés with mock askance and she saw his jaw square and she braced herself for something outrageous.

'I told you, you get the ring when I get the sex,' this led to a chorus of bawdy comment and laughter especially as Harry responded that she didn't believe in sex before marriage and that she wasn't that kind of girl.

The merriment became general and the focus on the mock engagement faded somewhat as the general consensus was that they were faking it and the bogus engagement would be very shortly yesterday's news.

'Nicely done,' Joyce congratulated them, 'you'll have to ham it up for the Super though or he'll realise he was played.'

'I don't know what you mean,' James ran his arm around Harry's shoulders. 'My little piece of paradise here is just playing hard to get; bound to give in to my charms sooner or later and then she can have any ring she wants as long as she don't go overboard cos I can't afford the Koh-i-Noor on my per deum.'

'Well I can't sport something out of a cracker I have the Winfield tradition to uphold,' Harry protested. 'Daddy will expect something suitably ostentatious even if he has to buy it himself.' That was a lie, Freddie wasn't at all like that but one of her aunts was quite particular on what was to be expected.

'Your Pop ain't like that, he'll be just glad you've managed to snag a guy after what can only be called a dry spell,' Jim was now going for payback after she'd effectively neutered him with the desperate-for-a-date story.

'Well James I foresee something of a dry spell for yours truly,' Harry responded with a mocking look and then she didn't look too confident of herself when she saw the light of battle in his eyes.

'Really, is that so,' he nodded his head as if he was considering that idea and then his head swooped and he fastened a hot kiss on her unsuspecting lips and moved his leg in such a way as to defend against a Makepeace knee to his manhood.

The noise level increased as Dempsey maintained the stolen snog and a chant counting the seconds started, Harry managed to wrench herself free and glared at him in a way that could hardly be called lover like.

'What? She don't like public displays of affection,' Dempsey threw at the team as Harry left and he quickly followed to the sound of mockery hooting behind them.


	23. Chapter 23

'Well, I think we paved the way to the painful break up of a beautiful relationship,' Dempsey said as he got out his car keys and did the honours opening the passenger door for her.

'I don't think you could have been more annoying,' Harry responded icily, 'and I wouldn't get engaged to you if you did give me the Koh-i-Noor.'

'Well if I ever do get around to asking for your hand in marriage you can keep that in mind but just in case you forgot I ain't asked so stick that up your aristocratic ass.'

'We say arse,' Harry responded with disdain and then her tongue moved delicately over her lower lip soothing it from his demanding caress.

'Okay arse. Sounds ruder though,' he muttered his quick glance taking in the tongue action which turned him on; he put the car into gear and drove her home and stayed in the driver seat as she got out as he wasn't about to volunteer for rejection.

'Aren't you coming in,' she asked as arguing with him had definitely made her feel like sex and not the gentle kind. It was bizarre she concluded but there you go.

He thought about playing hard to get and then rejected that idea as she sashayed up the path to the door, he locked the car and followed and barely got through the door before she kissed him passionately and they were tearing at each other's' clothes in the hallway.

'So arguing with me turns you on,' he growled as she unbuttoned his shirt. All he knew was that over the last three years he'd have liked to fuck her senseless when she turned on the ice.

'Seems to,' she admitted as her hot mouth moved over his chest and she moaned with pleasure at the contact. Harry was no stranger to arousal and annoyance meshing together and sending a wave of moisture to her thighs.

'Weird don't you think,' he unbuttoned her blouse and unfastened the bra, front loader so easy access. Her beautiful breasts always made him drag in a deep breath as his hands caressed her insistently feeling her nipples hard against his palm. 'So fucking beautiful,' his voice deepened with desire as he pushed her back against the wall.

'Being attracted to you is weird, I've given up trying to…. Oh God, James… She unzipped him and he pushed her skirt up and that was that, they were up against the wall doing it and she couldn't get their quickly enough as he thrust into her in an uncontrolled manner that he was obviously trying to reign in.

'Just let go,' she panted grabbing the back of his hair and gave out a rather unladylike scream of excitement to which he dutifully responded to with a desperate drive for satisfaction on his own behalf.

Dempsey groaned so loud it sounded as if he was dying; his heart was pounding so hard it might be on the cards, Harry had her legs around his hips and was moaning loud enough to annoy the neighbours and then bam boom he couldn't hold it back any longer and was grateful for the fact her body clenched on his dick and she was there. Pleasure beyond belief and harsh panting to grab any oxygen available followed and that weird feeling of gratitude for a fantastic fuck; it was so different with her. All previous engagements just faded into sepia when it came to sex with Harry.

Harry recovered first and couldn't help feeling that their lovemaking had all been a bit Lady Chatterley and that Dempsey made a convincing Oliver Mellor's as before she'd had sex with him she hadn't really been alive to this kind of sexual awakening. She could feel his warm breath against her upper chest and she gently disengaged her legs to support herself. Her movement made James groan so she realised he was still sensitive as he shuddered into her.

'Are you okay,' she asked with gentle concern as her fingers ran through his gorgeous dark hair, she loved the silky feel of it and had often wanted to touch it during their three years as partners and she reveled in the freedom she now had.

'No idea, I think my brain just fell out,' he growled the rumble of his chest reverberating through her. 'You drive me insane,' he groaned as his arms tightened around her.

'Is that good or bad,' she smiled at his slight grumpiness. Harry knew that James hated not being in control of his emotions and that with her he felt somewhat vulnerable.

'Hell, if I know,' he responded. He disengaged and they tidied their clothes and looked at each other with a certain amount of sheepish humour. 'That was unexpected Makepeace, keep that up and you might get your proposal.'

'If we keep that up I might just accept,' she laughed self-consciously at the hot need they had for each other acknowledging the attraction.

'You ever felt like that before,' he asked his dark gaze searching hers, he asked the question cos he sure as hell hadn't.

'No,' she answered honestly as his hands closed on her hips and he swayed her against him, 'I'm usually very reserved that way.'

'That wasn't reserved angel, that was anything but reserved.' He kissed her temple and rested his jaw against her hair. He smiled at the thought of their arguments turning her on. 'So that time when you lost the keys and I nearly went back to the States, that was a bad argument.'

'It was a bad argument and I didn't lose them you did,' she demurred smiling as she remembered it and knowing what he was asking.

'Did you…

'Did I what,' she asked playing at innocence, he raised his head and looked down at her his warm gaze, amused.

'Did you feel like this then; you know, was I in danger of you climbing me like a monkey lady with the horn,' he laughed as she rested her forehead against his chest to hide the colour stinging her cheeks. 'Come on out,' he tipped up her chin with a crooked forefinger to see her expression.

'It was a long time ago I can't really remember,' she lied without remorse her gaze flirting with his. She had felt exactly the same and had fairly lurid fantasies about ripping his clothes off at that time which she'd been very self-critical about.

'Yeah, you did,' he acknowledged looking very pleased with himself. 'Wish I'd known,' he said with definite regret, 'we've wasted a lot of time, princess.' Fancy that, all that time ago Harry'd been hot for him and he hadn't known. He'd fallen for all that cool disdain at his flirtation, he kind of knew she liked him but hadn't thought it had been like that.

'Spikings is right though,' he ran his hands over her ass and pulled her into him enjoying the feeling of her soft mound against his lower body, 'you should have a ring?'

'Well I suppose I do have my old engagement ring…. She answered doubtfully, it would do as a prop but it seemed wrong.

'Hell no, I don't want you wearing that,' his rejection was instantaneous. Dempsey didn't want an older claim on Harry being revisited. 'I'll get you something,' he offered awkwardly.

'It's a cover James we'll choose it together, I must admit I'm reluctant to put my old ring on it has some bad memories attached to it, silly really it would be ideal.' She frowned thinking she was being ridiculous as the engagement wasn't real.

'Nah, a cover has to be invested in, it's gotta feel real like when I was Lupino. If you don't believe in the cover it falls apart, like when you tried to stop me smoking… You were wrong to do that. Tomorrow we'll go buy a ring.'

'We'll go Dutch,' she agreed. 'Or maybe I should buy it then I can wear it as a dress ring…' That seemed the most appropriate option.

'No way,' James wasn't having that. 'You're my fake fiancée and I ain't having you buy your own ring cos I wouldn't do that so you're having a real ring and that's final. You can wear it as a dress ring later. I reckon I owe you for all the times I didn't satisfy you when you we're feeling like today,' he smiled at her in his usual irrepressible fashion. 'Makepeace if I'd known,' he growled in a semi threatening tone.

'Well you know now,' she ran her arms around his neck and her sultry gaze challenged his, 'show me.'

-oOo-

'A guy dating you wouldn't go to a high street jeweller,' Dempsey said as he parked near Hatton Garden, 'where would he normally go?'

'Asprey's probably,' Harry said in an off-hand kind of way, 'but a copper couldn't afford that Dempsey so we need to find somewhere more modest.'

'Where's that?' He questioned her. 'Come on Makepeace, if that's where you'd get a ring from that's where we're going.'

Harry looked at him as if he'd gone mad, 'James that will be very expensive and it's about half an hour from here so…

'So, nothing that's where we're going, direct me.' He squared his jaw. He wanted Harry to have a ring she'd be proud to wear and he'd had that compensation from the States for having to move to England because of Coltrane being a bent cop. That had been generous so he could buy her something nice.

Harry couldn't understand why they didn't just go to Ratner's as they were merely looking for a ring to keep their cover with the Chief Superintendent and as long as it was respectable looking that would be fine. She looked at Dempsey and realised he had that determined look on his face and she shrugged and indicated where they should turn.

'We should really have an appointment,' she informed him and then swallowed hard as he used his police badge to get them the necessary attention.

A very smart looking middle aged man took them into a room and asked them what price range, and Harry looked shocked when Dempsey said something in the five thousand to ten-thousand-dollar range. She didn't say anything as they were playing their cover and she wasn't about to contradict her partner, it reminded her of the time he bought the tank.

'Sapphire to match her eyes,' Dempsey suggested, 'my angel's got beautiful eyes.' He remembered the time he thought Coltrane had had her killed and the picture he had of her in his mind's eye, the blue of her eyes haunting him.

'Certainly sir,' two trays of rings were offered and the jeweller's assistant got a ring gauge out and measured Harry's finger and then suggested certain rings which would be suitable and assured them that they could adjust any of the others.

Harry looked at them uncertainly they didn't have prices and she bit her lip, one ring in particular caught her attention for its simplicity and elegance and she pointed to it.

'That looks right for you, try it on,' Dempsey felt a certain amount of emotion and then decided he should put it on her finger so he picked it up and took her hand kissed her fingers and then slid the ring on. It was a perfect fit.

'That's beautiful,' Harry said softly. She was lost in admiration of the ring and hardly noticed Dempsey conclude the sale with the sales assistant. Her partner insisted that she kept the ring on and he got the box and all the necessary paperwork done, they were then given a glass of complimentary champagne and left alone.

'Well here's to us princess,' he clinked his glass with hers, 'you never know this could be our longest running cover,' his voice sounded low and emotional to him and he wondered if she noticed.

'Was it very expensive,' Harry wrinkled her nose apologetically as she had put the rough velvet tone down to the trauma of an empty bank account.

'Well all I can say is you have good taste sweetheart and I guess that's an investment; anyway, Lady Harriet can't go around with a cheap piece of glass on her finger.'

'I'll have to get a chain for it, I can't wear it when I'm operationally active,' she admired the ring. 'Asprey's really do know how to cut the stones well; look at the light reflecting off the sapphire.'

'Yeah, it sparkles all right,' he agreed and wished they were going back to one of their homes rather than the office. 'How did you feel when I put the ring on your finger,' he had to ask cos it had meant something to him.

'Worried,' she responded with a smile. 'I didn't want you to be out of pocket, people in my circle live in a different world in terms of disposable income and I didn't want you to think you had to match that.'

'Well the NYPD were very apologetic about my exile and especially about Coltrane trying to off me so you've got their guilt money on your finger. You made me feel better about Joey so you deserve it, seems appropriate.'

Harry's heart melted at his gruff words. 'Perhaps we could stop at my place before we go back to the office,' she suggested in an emotional tone.

Dempsey smiled she must have read his mind, 'your place it is, princess.'

-oOo-

Harry felt very embarrassed at the attention the ring garnered especially as she'd spent the last hour making passionate love with her ex-partner. It had been beautiful and she knew James had been feeling emotional and was now being a little bit defensive.

'Very nice,' Spikings said dryly. 'I hope you didn't get it on expenses, I've had the RPG and the tank to deal with and I don't need a repeat performance.'

'Nah this is courtesy of the NYPD they felt awkward that I was being harassed by my former boss,' Dempsey responded in his usual manner. He could see Spikings was relieved at that.

'Well perhaps now the two of you could get on with some work unless you'd like me to play the part of registrar,' Spikings growled in his usual manner.

'Yes sir,' Harry responded politely as she went to her office followed by Hargreaves and half the typing pool.

'Work I said not ogling at rings,' Spikings roared as he went into his office somewhat exasperated by the turn of events. Dempsey had obviously pushed the boat out if he was any judge of jewellery and he wondered how serious things had got between his two most effective officers.

'Nice ring,' Chas said tongue in cheek to Dempsey, 'very classy suits Harry,' he got a coffee and sat on Dempsey's desk. 'Got it bad Jim,' he observed with a kind twinkle in his eye.

'Tell me about it,' Dempsey drawled. 'Always thought I was immune you know, had my fair share of women and relationships. There's always one dame out there that can get to you like no other and then everything changes.'

'I'll start writing my speech,' Chas grinned at him and got a dangerous look from his friend.

'Let's not get ahead of ourselves; the ring's for the cover; don't want to upset the Chief Super, and anyway I've been reliably informed that D.I. Makepeace wouldn't marry me if I did buy her the Koh-i-Noor so I wouldn't waste your time on doing that.'

Dempsey was feeling decidedly uncomfortable at the amount of emotion he'd felt over the last twenty-four hours and was feeling decidedly out of his comfort zone. And even if he did want to make things permanent he wasn't sure that Harry would climb on board. I mean she was a class act and he was a New York cop when it came down to it and New York was beckoning because he'd have to go back and testify against Coltrane and the Giardino's and that was going to be a tough ride.

He glanced across at Harry and could see she was feeling awkward at all the attention the ring had brought her. Her blue eyes met his and he swallowed hard and then looked away wondering what the future would look like for the two of them. He'd like to think Harry would always be there but only time would tell.

End or Part 1 (Part 2 may take a while as it needs a lot of editing)


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